Wind in the Sails
by PoppyRosaLawston
Summary: Arabella Fenn, 21st century girl, finds herself thrown back into the 18th century with only one guaranteed way of returning - complete Tia Dalma's bidding. With a time limit and annoying pirates it's certainly going to be a difficult task for Arabella to complete. Eventual Jack Sparrow/OC. Follows PotC:CotBP
1. An Unexpected Encounter

I blinked the sleep from my bleary eyes as I attempted to sit up. The moment I did, an insistent pounding began in my head making me groan and shut my eyes as tight as possible in the hopes that a lack of light would help.

I could have sworn that I didn't go out drinking last night, yet the throbbing in my temples was making me believe otherwise. How could I have been so stupid? I hadn't drunk this much in at least six months and was enjoying the hangover free life.

Deep breaths bounced around the room as I tried to remember everything from the night before. I suppose it must have been a good night since I couldn't remember much. That was at least one thing I'd learnt from university. Clearly I still hadn't learnt my lesson to keep it under control though. I'd forgotten how increasingly frustrating it was not being able to remember anything.

No matter how hard I tried, the last thing I could remember was saying goodnight to Amy and snuggling down on my soft mattress and silky sheets.

That thought made me pause.

Moving one hand from my face, I felt the bed that I had apparently spent the night on, knowing somehow that it wasn't my own.

I hoped that I was wrong. I would place my hand down, feel smooth silky sheets – my favourite pastel blue set – and I could breathe normally again, lay back down and try to sleep off the awful headache.

Of course, I had no such luck, my gut instinct was right. Coarse fabric rubbed under my palm reaffirming my fears. The bed underneath me was hard and lumpy, nothing like the memory foam I was used to.

The sudden fear that gripped my chest allowed a flood of information that my dulled senses had picked up on to flow, tripling the almost overwhelming pain that was in hammering away at my head.

A constant buzz of insects accompanied my laboured breathing. Birds singing to one another added a melody while the rustling of leaves created an extra layer to all of the noise.

Beads of sweat dribbled down my back, how had I not noticed the sweltering heat and humidity before? Now that I had noticed the warmth I had an almost uncontrollable urge for a much needed cold shower. I'd always hated being sweaty, so much so that I never did any strenuous exercise. It was just a gross feeling.  
A stale scent permeated the room. Although not entirely unpleasant – I'd smelt far worse in my first year university accommodation – it was another indication that I wasn't in my room and succeeded in escalating my growing urgency.

For somebody supposedly extremely observant, I was very slow this morning – if it even was morning, for all I knew, I could have slept right through until the afternoon which happened surprisingly often.

Knowing that I'd have to find out what had happened sooner rather than later – I'd always felt it was better not to prolong the inevitable – I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.

It was worse than I could have imagined.

I definitely wasn't in my room, and almost certainly not in England any more. The weather was just too humid and warm. A dilapidated wooden hut with a chilling view of what looked like a jungle greeted me. I was pretty sure I would have heard of a jungle in the middle of England.

My breathing quickened involuntarily as the realisation that I'd messed up in my drunken haze more than I ever had before. I'd heard of people booking a flight and waking up in another country before on a bender but I never thought I'd be one of them. How had I managed to leave England? My passport was expired and I hadn't received my new one yet.

Everywhere I looked there was something new and more horrific that I noticed. Glass jars filled with whole toenails, rotting frogs, eyeballs of every colour and size were hung from the splintered rafters. Mummified remains strung around broken beams and glared in the harsh sunlight. Bones were strewn haphazardly across the uneven floor, yellowing from age. I had no idea if they were human or not, but the size indicated that they probably weren't.

What the hell had I gotten myself into? How had I wound up in this disgusting place? Where could I get a decent cup of tea from?

A hissing from the far side of the room quickly got my attention. Snapping my head up from the bones on the floor, I looked upon my worst fear; a snake. Not just any snake, a colossal yellow snake, slithering sluggishly around the tree – was I in a tree house - in the corner of the room.

It pushed me over the edge. There were many things that I could withstand and I thought that I was holding myself together reasonably well to say that I'd woken up who knows where, but snakes I just couldn't cope with.

My breathing was close to hyperventilation as a scream bubbled up my throat and burst from my trembling lips. I had well and truly embraced hysteria and there was no turning back as long as that snake was in the vicinity of me.

The scream grew louder and longer. All sorts of irrational thoughts raced through my pounding head, making it ache even more. What if I didn't go out drinking last night with Amy? What if someone broke into our house and drugged me? What if I'd been kidnapped? It made sense. If I'd been drugged it would explain my lack of memory and why I didn't recognise where I was. It'd explain why the conditions were so dire. The quicker the thoughts raced through my head, the more they made sense. Drugged. I must have been drugged. The closest jungle that I could think of was in Africa, there was no way I could have made it that far away from home without waking up if I'd only been black out drunk.

I scrambled backwards on the bed until my bed hit the wall. I needed to put as much distance between myself and that damned snake so that I could try and think a bit more clearly. The solid wood helped to ground me, offering a small piece of security that nobody was able to sneak up behind. How would I have been drugged and who would have done it? I'll admit this part of my theory that didn't make any sense, but I'd get there if I could stop thinking about that awful snake winding itself tighter to the tree.

The beaded curtains on the other side of the small room – next to the snake tree – were suddenly flung back with a loud clatter, pinging against the wall. My body started shaking with terror as I realised how stupid I had been. In my snake induced hysteria, I had alerted my captor.

A tall woman was stood inside the doorway watching me with sharp eyes. Multiple black dots followed the lines of her golden cheekbones – a new make-up trend perhaps – that disappeared behind matted deep brown dreadlocks that hung wildly. On second thoughts, maybe it wasn't a make-trend. What a bizarre thought to have at a time like that.

All the noise from outside the shack had ceased upon the stranger entering.

Slowly, the woman smiled, revealing yellowing and gold teeth – had she not heard of toothpaste? Her presence was made more sinister by the sudden silence.  
The pain in my head was starting to dull and with my attention focused on the woman and not the snake it helped me to think more clearly.

I was still working overdrive to overrule the flight or fight reflex that had kicked in. I didn't have any fighting experience thanks to my aversion to sweat. Why couldn't I have just got over myself and taken those self-defence classes with Amy last year? As for flight, I couldn't find another way out of the room that involved avoiding the snake. The door way was blocked by my kidnapper and with the tree being right next to the window, there was no way I was risking that. The snake might have decided he liked the look of me and fancied a snack. If I was going to die, I was not going to go being eaten by a snake. No thank you. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

My muscles twitched as they tried to force me to flee. I ignored them and wrapped my hands tightly around my legs, hugging them close to my chest, eyes narrowed on the form in the doorway. My best option was to sit and wait for an opportunity to escape without risk of death to present itself.

"It be no use," the woman spoke, cutting through the silence, her voice rough and deep. I furrowed my eyebrows, annoyed that the woman had known what I had been debating internally. I guess my posture had maybe been a bit of a give-away as well as my muscles still twitching sporadically without my consent.

Her smile widened at my reaction. "There be nowhere to go, except right back here, unless you want to be lost in the bayou. If that be the case, the animals will make your death quick."

My already widened eyes grew even larger, if that was even possible. Bayou. Not good. That meant more killer animals like alligators and even more damn snakes. The chances of my escaping were dwindling before me. Stupid fear, ruling my decisions.

She wasn't lying. I'd always had a talent of being able to read people and tell when they weren't being truthful with me. Also, I just knew that all sorts of deadly creatures lived in the bayou, so that helped.

Summoning my courage, I tried to speak. It took me a few tries but I finally found my voice. I blamed the snake for my temporary voice loss.

"Where have you brought me? What am I doing here? How did I get here? Who are you?" Once I started it was difficult to stop. The questions flew fast in my Yorkshire accent. I'd be surprised if she'd understood at least one word of what I'd said.

At least I wasn't in any immediate danger. I hoped. Surely something other than the woman just standing in the doorway analysing me would have happened. And analysing she blatantly was. Her eyes kept track of every twitch – damned fight/flight response – and every darting glance to tree.

Because of this, I didn't relax my tense body and kept myself pressed as far into the wall as I could.

"A touch a destiny follows you, Arabella Fenn."

How does she know my name? A chill seeped down my spine. This was not good.

"How do you know my name?" Desperation seeped into my tone. I needed to know just how much this woman knew about me. I needed to find a way home.

Someone must be looking for me by now. Amy at the very least would know that I'm gone and without a note or text saying where I was, she'd be worried. She's always been like that – the mum of the friendship.

"I brought you here, t'is your destiny."

"Yes, so you said," I snapped. Anger finally making itself known. "Now tell me why." Wincing I belatedly realised that perhaps snapping at my kidnapper wasn't the wisest thing to do if I wanted to get out of here unharmed.

Almost unbelievably, the woman smiled even wider and leaned casually against the door frame. The skirts on her dressed ruffled together as she moved. It was only then that I took notice of what she was actually wearing, a dingy and extremely grubby period dress. Multiple hues of brown, orange and beige blended together in tatters. The pattern long lost from overuse. If I'd had to guess, I'd have said that the top part was corseted at the back. How could she wear so much and not overheat? Better yet, why would she wear something that definitely wasn't the style of the 21st century? Maybe she was into cosplay. She definitely looked at home amongst the chaos in every square inch of this place. Even so, I felt rather underdressed in my pyjama shorts and strappy top.

"T'is as I thought, you be strong enough for the task."

"Oh come on, I've listened to enough politicians to know when somebody is deliberately not answering a question." I added an eye roll for an extra affect. I tried to put up a front that screamed 'I'm really sassy and don't take any rubbish' to hide my raging fear and curiosity. When in an uncomfortable position, I usually resorted to some form of sarcasm regardless of the consequences. In reality I think I just looked constipated. Lovely.

"It's my destiny to be here or whatever, but are you actually going to tell me why you brought me here or keep me playing twenty guesses. Obviously the choice is your; however I'd like to know where I stand." I glanced down. "Well, sit."

My false bravado was offset by the quietening of my voice towards the end of my statement. So much for hiding my fear, I was definitely going to be made to regret being rude.

A bark of laughter erupted from the strange woman whilst her eyes appraised me head to toe once more. Raising my chin, I stared sharply back, trying in vain to mask my turbulent emotions.

"Work needs to be done on your mannerism, but this be good. It will work, just like I thought." Pushing off from where she was leaning leisurely against the wall, she stepped towards the bed, only halting when a muscle jumped once again in my arm, betraying me.

"I am Tia Dalma, Arabella Fenn. You have been brought here by me. I need you to do something important."

Tia Dalma. Tia Dalma. Where had I heard that name before? It coursed through my mind as I tried unsuccessfully to remember – that was happening a lot today so it seemed. Putting the familiarity to the back of my mind where I could obsess over it later, I tried to focus on the more important things, like the fact that I finally had some information to work with. That had to be a good thing. If she wanted to talk – albeit limitedly – then maybe my death wouldn't be as imminent as I thought. Why did she bring me to this shack though? What was this 'something important' that she wanted me to do? How did she know my name? And the biggest question of all, where the hell am I?

I tried to work through the information that I had methodically. I'd been kidnapped. I was most likely drugged. I did't know where in the world I was - most likely somewhere in Africa. My kidnapper was a woman. She was called Tia Dalma. There was a giant snake hindering my escape. Chances of survival were very poor. And this was a bad idea. My breathing became harsh pants as I psyched myself out again.

"Something important you say," I tried to forget about my oncoming panic attack by forcing myself to speak. "care to enlighten me as what exactly?" I didn't expect a direct answer. So far I'd been given the run around, why would this have been any different?

"I need you to find out how to free Calypso." Her amusement had vanished and she answered me so seriously that I was shocked. Gone was the leisurely smiling persona. In its place were a stern expression and a woman who meant business. She had a goal and would do anything to achieve it. I was familiar with the type. And then her words registered with my slow brain. Calypso, I knew that name too. A burning to figure out what was happening overcame me. Something was dancing just out of my reach, something important. If I could just remember what it was and then I'd know what to do next. My gut was shouting at me that everything relied on that bit of unreachable knowledge.

"What is going on? Are you going to hurt me? Tell me where I am and why I recognise your name." I was becoming more and more frustrated.

"You know my name, Arabella because in some way you know me. Same way you be knowing of a Captain Jack Sparrow."

The name threw me sideways. Of course. Now it all made sense.

Laughter spurted uncontrollably from my lips. My relief fuelled its intensity. It was all a joke! Amy had set this prank up and revenge for covering everything in her room in wrapping paper over Christmas. This Tia Dalma was just an actress helping her out. I couldn't stop laughing, my sides were hurting so bad. To think, I thought I'd be drugged! What a stupid notion.

"Oh man, seriously, that was good! You really had me going there. Pretending to be from a movie, I love it! You can break character now, and tell me where Amy is. She's the one that put you up to this right?" I couldn't say any more, tears were streaming down my face. The woman allegedly called 'Tia Dalma' just stared, waiting for me to get myself under control.

My emotions had been torn severely in every possible direction and now I had no control. Be they tears of laughter, happiness, relief, I had no idea. I was just happy that I hadn't been kidnapped. Then I remembered the snake.

"Don't tell me that thing's real." I pointed to it still wrapped around the tree. If it was I was going to be so angry with Amy. How dare she use my fear against me like that? It was a step too far.

The actress looked at the snake and then back at me, clearly thinking my question was stupid.

"Have you finished?"

Reigning in my anger and amusement, I nodded. Finally I let go of my legs and stretched them out with a groan. They'd become extremely stiff whilst curled up tight.

"I not be knowing who this Amy is. What I know is that you are soon to be in shock. Believe what I say, I am Tia Dalma and I have brought you here to help me." With every word she took half a step forward until by the time she had finished speaking she was towering over me. Craning my neck to see her face I replied.

"Come on, you can stop now. I get it. Joke's on me. Just tell me how to - OUCH! What did you do that for?" She pinched me! The crazy lady actually pinched me.

"To stop you from talking. This isn't a joke Arabella."

She sat down beside me. "In your world…"

"Hold up. 'Your world'? What does that even mean?"

She sighed loudly, clearly beginning to lose her patience with me. I suppose I could hear her out. Motioning with my hand for her to continue, she did so.

"In your world, you be knowing myself and Jack from what you call a movie." Her firm tone and stark belief in these words began to get me worried. She believed that she was telling the truth.

"Exactly, a movie, which is how I know that this is joke, you can't be real." Nerves shaking, I looked her in the eye. This woman was either a really good actor or truly believed everything that she was saying. My gut was telling me the latter.

"Yes a movie, a book, a legend. Different versions but all are true. The events that happen are real life, your worlds past, Arabella."

Oh God. She really believed what she was saying.

"If you do not believe me, you go now."

What? That was so abrupt. Grabbing my arm in a vice like grip she pulled me up and out of the room. I struggled and did everything I possibly could to get out of it but to no avail. This 'Tia Dalma' -or whatever her name was - was strong. Really strong. I cringed as we passed by the mammoth snake and stumbled over litter on the floor.

"I be the only one who can help you home, remember that." And with those parting words she pushed me out of the door, onto a wooden porch and slammed the door behind her. I could hear her muttering to herself but it was too hushed for me to make out anything other than the odd word.

I took one look at the bayou – the smell had me wrinkling my nose – before sitting down right where I was stood. If I took even one step out there I was sure to be lost. There was no way I was risking that. My mind began to wander as the situation finally sank in.

My only hope of getting out of here was from the crazy lady who was still muttering to herself inside. This had to be an elaborate prank. It just had to be. Any minute, Amy would jump out from behind the large shrubs and scream 'surprise'!

I waited and waited, but nothing happened. No surprises, just annoying bugs and insects trying to crawl on me. Birds cawed and something ominous moved in the water down below.

What if she was actually telling the truth? What if she really was Tia Dalma and I'm somehow in the past. How would it work? Are there different versions of the past? Is it one continuous loop? Just thinking about it started to make my head ache again. I felt like I had been dumped in a Doctor Who episode only without the dubious security of the Doctor and their sidekicks.

Darkness slowly descended, worsening my mood. In this kind of place, night meant even more creepy creatures.

This just couldn't be happening. I still didn't know how she brought me here. I maintain that she drugged me somehow. Magic just doesn't exist. Time travel doesn't exist. Oh God, I don't know how I'd cope if this was all real.

I was starting to form the opinion that I should just say whatever I can to make Tia Dalma believe that I agree with her whilst trying to figure out how to get home. As much as I hated to admit it, she really was my only hope at this point. I could make it work. I had to make it work. I didn't have a choice, my survival depended on it. I had no idea how to survive in the wild. I wasn't Bear Grylls. There was no way that I'd be caught eating a bug or drinking my own wee. Even the thought of it grossed me out and made me gag.

Never mind all that though, I wouldn't get far without any light. I could barely see the hand in front of my face and that was only from the dim candle light coming from the shack behind me. How did people start a fire in the bayou anyway? It's not as if I had any matches to hand.

The things I would do to get my hands on a cup of tea.

It was time to put my awful acting skills to use. With a mournful sigh – it was going to be a long night – I stood up, strode over to the door and knocked like I had a purpose.

Hinges creaked as it opened lethargically, just enough so that I could see one brown eye peeping through the crack. It was a bit unnerving. One wrong move or word and I'd be left to fend for myself. Using that horrible thought to give me courage, I straightened my shoulders, and stared challengingly into her eye.

"I believe you. What do I have to do?" I lied.

The opened wide and Tia Dalma smiled somewhat menacingly.

"Come in. Much is to be done."

With that I stepped into the battered shack and sealed my fate.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction! Hope it you all enjoyed it, and let me know what you think.  
Eventually this story is going to follow Curse of the Black Pearl plot. I own my OC and plot until the movie plot beginning and nothing else. Thank you for reading :)


	2. An Irregular Situation

Standing with the door firmly pressed against my back for reassurance, I revaluated my reasoning. I still wasn't sure whether this was a prank or a kidnapping and keeping my cool was going to be difficult. I'd only ever had limited acting experience – I featured as the sheep in my primary school nativity once. It went brilliantly…if you'd count managing to fall off the little stage as 'brilliant'. Funnily enough, I was always chosen to be in the chorus from then on.

What chance did I have at making crazy lady Tia Dalma believe my lies? She has that look that screams 'I know everything'. When you look her in the eyes it's like she's reading your every thought. Honestly, it's quite scary. If I'm going to succeed, maybe I should just try not to look in her eyes. No, that won't work. That'll make me look guiltier.

I took a deep breath before I could psych myself out even more. Casting the negative thoughts from my mind, I began repeating over and over 'you can do it', 'you can do it', 'you can do it'.

Bracing myself, I looked her in the eye and smiled. I hope it was a sweet innocent looking smile and not a guilty grimace. I wouldn't want to fail before I'd already begun.

"You know," I began, building up my false bravado. "If you want me to do this researching business, you're going to have to do a few things for me. Sweeten the deal a little bit. Tit for tat, that kind of thing. It's a win-win situation that way." I really needed to learn when to shut up.

Tia's eyebrows rose in disbelief as she pursed her lips, deliberating whether to listen to or ignore me. I waited with bated breath for her to throw me back out into the awful wilderness.

"Go on…" Her reply was slow and full of intrigue. Well, this was going good so far.

"First, Big Yellow has got to go." I crossed my arms for added effect, attempting to draw attention away from my wince. I'd unwittingly named the snake and I was not happy with this development at all.

All she did was raise one eyebrow even higher and look a little confused. It took me a few seconds, but eventually it registered that she didn't understand who, or more appropriately what, 'Big Yellow' was.

"The snake, the snake has got to go." I clarified. The quicker this was done the better. Once he was gone I could somewhat relax a little bit. My shoulders were aching from all the tension I'd been carrying. Tension caused not only by my irregular situation but by Big Yellow himself. If I could ease that somewhat by changing something then I was going to jump at the chance.

And jump I did, about five feet into the air as he came slithering in, as if he'd heard me calling his name and had decided to investigate. I hoped he'd been fed and wasn't hungry. I didn't want to be a potential snake snack again.

With my back pressed even more so against the creaking door, I quickly pointed at him and repeatedly said "now please".

Apparently I was worthy of pity as Tia Dalma chortled and smirked slyly at me before picking up Big Yellow. She let him wrap around her arms and wandered over to the window in the bedroom I'd woken up in. I craned my head – my feet couldn't have moved even if I wanted to – to make sure that he was actually being put outside where he belonged. Once satisfied I let out a huge sigh of relief, feeling some tension slip from my weighted shoulders.

"Thank you!" I called out, slightly breathless.

In she wandered, sly smile still planted firmly on her face. I cursed inwardly as I remembered that Tia Dalma was potentially a crazy kidnapper who would use my fears against me. Pushing my growing apprehension down, I continued on as if the giant murder animal hadn't just slithered in hissing.

"Second, I really need something to eat and drink. I'm honestly shocked that you haven't heard my tummy growling. It's a full on symphony happening in there. A symphony of pain. Because I'm starving. And thirsty. And my tummy is telling not only me this, but you and anyone else within a miles distance." Smiling, I stood blinking at her, waiting for something – anything – too eat. I'd have taken mouldy bread at this point and wolfed it down without any regrets.

Tia turned round, dreadlocked hair whipping the air, without a word. The natural thing for me to do in this situation was to follow her. Keeping a slight distance, for safety's sake, I watched her curiously. Within minutes a steaming bowl of what looked like stew was thrust into my hands. Not daring to ask what was in it, I swallowed it down in big gulps until it was all gone. Tingles began spreading over my lips and tongue as I finally registered the spice. Deciding that it wasn't all that unpleasant I opened my mouth to ask for more.

"No more ropa veija. You be sick if you have more. Here take this." Disappointment flooded my body as I realised that she was right. If I had more I would undoubtedly throw up, the food being too much for my empty tummy. Taking the tankard I threw caution to the wind and followed in my previous footsteps. Ignoring the dubious look of the liquid I drank the lot in one breath, gagging a little from both the taste and the fact that the drink had burnt my tongue from the heat. The familiar taste was very overwhelming. Ginger tea. Good for nausea. Handing the mugs back I thanked her.

"Have you finished with your demands now, Arabella?" Tia drawled, swishing her skirts as she went about placing the tankards on a cluttered bench. The reminder shocked me out of my food induced stupor.

"No. Lastly, I'd like to go home please and see my family before I do a single thing that you ask of me."

She stopped pottering around the shack and fixed me with a deadly look.

Busted.

"It is as I thought. You do not believe. That will change, and soon. For now, you rest." Tia pointed at the bedroom. As tempting as the offer of sleep was, I was still wary of the fact that I hadn't been given a proper answer yet again. I wasn't naïve enough to still believe that this was a prank. It had gone well past the point of it being funny and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. Amy hadn't popped up with a yell of 'surprise', so I was firmly holding onto the belief that I had been kidnapped.

Probably shouldn't have eaten the gumbo or drank the ginger tea. It didn't taste poisoned but then again, I'm sure I read somewhere that some poisons don't have a taste. At least if it was poisoned I'll die having eaten something that was actually quite tasty. Focusing back on the conversation at hand, I replied to Tia Dalma with stubbornness weaving throughout my tone.

"No. I won't rest until you give me an answer. Why can't I go home first before I find out what you want to know?" Planting my feet shoulder-width apart, I tried to look somewhat intimidating – a difficult thing to achieve when the other person towers over your 5'5'' frame.

"You can only leave this time once the job is complete. You are bound to it." She matched my stance. Out of sheer stubbornness I didn't back down, not giving a single thought to the consequences.

"What do you mean I'm 'bound to it'? Are you deliberately trying not to answer my question and keep me in a constant state of confusion? Because if you are, I can tell you now, that's not going to make me want to help you."

"You don't have a choice but to complete your task. T'is your destiny, the magic binds you to this time." Once again, I received a very unhelpful answer. I decided to try another method of gaining the information that I needed to know.

"So this 'powerful magic'," I emphasised my disbelief by using my fingers to sign air quotes, "means that I have to stay here until I've found out how to free Calypso. What if I don't find out? What happens then?"

"You die."

"What?"

"You die."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said, but that can't be right. How am I going to die? Are you going to kill me?" Panic was making my voice go slightly higher and sending my mind into overdrive. This couldn't be happening. How am I supposed to complete an impossible task? None of this should be real and yet the threat of possible death sounds very much so.

"It will not be by my hands. The voodoo will find a way. A shipwreck, a fall, it could be anything." Tia carried on, oblivious to my inner turmoil. I'd had such an emotional wreck of a day; I don't think I could have taken much more. I felt my eyes stinging with brewing tears. Moving around her towards where I was planning on hiding, I walked as fast as I could. Before I burst through the beaded curtain, I stopped and turned my head to talk over my left shoulder.

"You're right. I should rest." I said, hoping that she'd take the unspoken hint to leave me alone.

Not waiting for a response, I parted the dangling beads and headed straight for the straw bed. Collapsing on it, I folded myself into a foetal position and let the tears fall.

Trying to process everything that had happened today was like trying to wade through the thickest mood imaginable. As soon as Tia mentioned death everything felt very real. I had no idea if she was lying or not. My gut was telling me no but I wanted so badly to say yes. I wanted so badly to believe that I had been kidnapped by a crazy lady, not that I had somehow time travelled.

Well aware that all that separated me from Tia was a beaded curtain, I tried to keep my crying as noiseless as possible. It didn't last long, I gave up almost as soon as the sobs began. I sounded like a wailing cat. I'd always been an ugly crier and tonight was no different. If anything it was the ugliest episode yet, a definite achievement.

How could any of this be real? Why was it happening to me? I know she said that it's my destiny but how? Had this happened to anybody else? Was I the first?

More and more questions swirled around my head. As I tried to make sense of one another question came along and confused me even more. Being kidnapped, I could probably come to terms with a lot quicker. It happens; it's been documented multiple times. There's always an ulterior motive behind it, but time travel? How on Earth was I supposed to come to terms with that? How am I supposed to get my head around the mechanics if I didn't even know it was possible in the first place? Was there an ulterior motive behind it?

I just wanted to go home, have a nice cup of tea and pretend that this was all a dream. Maybe if I closed my eyes, counted to three and then I'd be home. Kind of like a condensed Wizard of Oz version of clicking my heels together.

One…two...three.

Opening my eyes, I was still on the lumpy straw bed, in my sweat stained pyjamas. A large wet patch spread out around my face from the sheer amount of tears I had already shed. How could I have been so naïve as to think that would work? The only thing it succeeded in doing was making me cry harder.

Eventually my wailing quietened to a low keen which eventually finished in sniffles. There was nothing to be done about the steady stream flowing from my eyes. To say I had been so dehydrated today, the amount was shocking. As I lay there, I tried to think of one positive thing in a last attempt to calm my nerves.

I still had my pyjamas. Despite them being soaked in sweat and tears, they were the only reminder of home that I had and I clung to them tightly as they stuck to my body. It was a small positive but one that worked none the less. Fisting my hands into the silky material of the top, I closed my eyes and tried not to think of the fact that I wouldn't be seeing my best friend for a long time.

* * *

"Wake up. We have much to do." The sharp words pierced through my dream like lightening. Goodbye cosy sofa. Goodbye library. Maybe one day, I'll see you soon. With a groan, I opened my eyes, half expecting to see Amy stood over me with a stern look telling me that I was going to be late for work. It was one of her jobs as my best friend – to always make sure that I got to work on time. I was too lazy for my own good and having someone else to motivate me worked wonders.

Unfortunately, I was still in the same awful place as yesterday. The same run down shack, the same uncomfortable, not even worthy of the name, bed with Tia Dalma towering over my hunched form making sure that I was actually going to get up. Once satisfied she swept out of the room, making the beaded curtain click together in her wake.

With a small sigh I stretched out. I hadn't got any closer to an answer for the questions that had plagued me last night and that really bothered me. Eventually I must have drifted off but not for long if my lethargy was anything to go by. Sitting here wasn't going to get me anywhere however, no matter how much my tired body screamed otherwise. It was time to try and get some more answers to my questions.

I strode though the curtain, wrinkling my nose at the smell that I was sure was my stale sweat and tried not to think about how I longed for a steaming hot shower. If I really was in the 18th century, those were a thing of the future, and unfortunately out of my reach. With another sigh, I went in search of food and drink. I could hear Tia rummaging round for something upstairs, occasionally sending down swirls of dust and other unidentifiable substances from the ceiling. It was up to me to satisfy my needs.

Apparently, I was worth remembering, as on one of the tables, surrounded by things that I'd rather not eat my breakfast next too was a tankard filled with what smelt like warm ginger tea again and a bowl of that stew stuff. What had she called it, ropa veija? I hoped it wasn't left over from last night. 18th Century meant refrigerators hadn't been invented yet, who knew what kind of bacteria it had been growing. Remembering that I wasn't really in a situation where I could be picky, I wolfed down the food trying not to think about the germs I was digesting.

By the time I had finished the gumbo – if there was one good thing I was going to take away from this unpleasant situation, it was going to be that recipe – and had started on my tea, Tia Dalma came clattering down the creaking staircase carrying bundles of material in her arms.

"Good. You ate," was all she said before finding a perch for the fabric. Now that it was laid out, I could see that it was a dress. I hoped it was for me. I'd have done anything to get out of these pyjamas and into some clean clothes now that my immediate needs were satisfied.

"Yeah, thanks for leaving me some." Always be nice to your host, and maybe good things will come in return…at least I was hopeful that was the case. Tia nodded her head in response. Deciding now was the time to try and get some more answers I put the wooden tankard down.

"I've been thinking," I began slowly, still unsure how to approach this without getting the politician style answers I'd previously received from her. "Why can't you just go and find out how to free yourself? If the movies are really my century's history, like you said, then shouldn't you know anyway?"

Although 'At World's End' had shown Calypso freed from the form of Tia Dalma, it hadn't shown how it had happened. One minute Tia Dalma was her normal size, tied up with multiple ropes, the next she was growing at an exponential rate before exploding into a load of crabs. It was creepy as heck but left me wondering just how they'd freed her.

It was also one of the main things that I'd been wondering. She'd said Jack Sparrow knew which made sense when I remembered who his father was and his affiliations with the Brethren court, but Tia and Jack go well back if the movie events are true. What was stopping her from going herself to find out? Something about this wasn't making any sense. I was missing a crucial bit of information. Why did she need me to find out how to free her from her human form if it happens in the film anyway?

"You only know my true identity as you are from the future. If I go, people will become suspicious and will not tell me. Besides, Jack has always liked a pretty woman." She looked at me from head to toe while I blushed a little in embarrassment at the compliment.

"Ok, that makes sense at least. How did you find out in the first place though? Surely if it was me then it would have been documented?" I ignored the compliment as best as I could. Now was not really the time to indulge myself in flattery.

"Things sometimes get lost in time for a reason, or because they haven't happened yet." Tia sat down, waiting for me to come to the right conclusion. One, I could tell, would give me some of the answers that I needed.

"So, you're saying, because I watched these films before I came here that the events haven't happened yet? And until I start searching that's when the timeline will begin and history will rewrite itself?" I had no idea if I was on the right track but it sure as heck was making my head hurt trying to figure it out.

"Yes." Oh, brilliant. Why is life so confusing? Why can't it just be a nice walk in the park?

"I've seen and read enough sci-fi to know that changing history is a bad thing," I replied, noting her confused look at the word 'sci-fi'. I need to be more careful with my speech or I'll have people asking unwanted questions and probably branding me a witch. The lack of women rights was really going to be a big obstacle, I could tell already.

"You have to let all events happen as you know them to. The only thing that can change is that you go along with them. I have seen it. History has been waiting for you, Arabella Fenn. T'is…"

"My destiny," I interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I've heard that one enough times." Rolling my eyes for good measure, I tried to hide a smile of amusement at the dark look she was giving me.

"Right, say I believe you, and I'm not saying that I'm one hundred per cent sold on the idea, but won't I need clothes? Not only that but money as well. How am I even meant to find Jack Sparrow and then get close to him? If it's such a closely guarded secret he's not going to tell it to the next woman who waltzes up to him, is he?" There were so many things that could go wrong with this, which was not a risk I was willing to take. If I was risking death to find the answers, I wanted a full proof plan before I began. I was starting to get frustrated at how little Tia Dalma had thought out this idea of hers.

"You'll be needing to watch that mouth of yours, Arabella. It may get you into unwanted trouble." She replied stepping over to the dress I had been eyeing.

"Whatever, I'll work on it. Happy?" I felt like a stroppy teenager again but I couldn't seem to – nor did I want to – help myself. I'd been put in a very unusual situation and wasn't happy about it. It was bound to come out snarky and sarcastic, it had always been my fall back.

"Here, put this on." Not only did she hand me the dress, she also gave me stays, petticoat, undershirt with sleeves that looked as though they'd reach just past my elbow and stockings. Suddenly I became very aware of the humidity and heat once again building up to its fiery crescendo in the shack. Without deodorant I wasn't sure how I was going to cope but it was something I was going to have to put up with and figure out by myself. Living in this century – even if it is only temporary – is going to be a huge adjustment. Going without my twenty first century comforts will be one of my biggest hurdles.

I wordlessly took the clothes, wondering how I was going to get them on, particularly the stays. I didn't really want to ask for any help doing it up; I didn't really like the thought of relying on someone else to help me get dressed.

"Clean water is upstairs, and mirror."

Nodding, I stumbled my way up the stairs. The room looked exactly the same as the one below, vines hanging from the roof, along with other questionable things in jars. Chaos seemed to reign everywhere I looked.

Noting the mirror with bowl of water and a rag beside it, I peeled off my pyjamas and did my best to wash myself, finishing with splashing my face. There was nothing to be done about my hair however. I'd have to root around and maybe I'd find a hairbrush.

Finally it was time to attempt getting dressed. I felt like I was playing dress up. I managed fine by myself until the stays. After so many failed attempts at tightening I gave in and asked for Tia Dalma's help.

"You'll have to learn to do this by yourself. You leave today, I do not have time to teach you."

"What? I leave today? Please tell me that you're joking!" I panicked. The only response I got was a sharp tightening of the laces knocking the breath out of me slightly.

Once Tia Dalma had left the room I carried on. The cotton pale blue dress turned out to be a skirt and a separate off white blouse style jacket - they were easy enough to put on once I figured out how to pin the jacket into place. I bent down to pick up my sweaty pyjamas, planning on scrubbing them as best as I could in the bowl of water, only for my hand to hit the rough wooden planks of the floor. Looking round wildly I tried to find them. I couldn't have lost them; they were the only thing I had from home. Bounding down the stairs I ran into Tia Dalma bent over my now wet pyjamas.

"Oh thank goodness! I thought for a moment, I'd lost them." Tia rolled her eyes at my dramatics, before hanging them over a piece of rope draped from the rafters.

"Here," she handed me a fairly heavy cloth purse. Money, another item checked off the list. She motioned with her hand for me to look at what she's laid out on the table: a battered leather suitcase, black shoes that were in the fashion of the time, a straw hat, hairbrush –I nearly swooned when I saw it, I'd finally be able to tame the ginger mess dancing on over my shoulder blades – another set of clothes, cloak, hair pins and a couple of parchments.

As I struggled to place the shoes on my feet – the stays making bending over difficult - I tried to make conversation despite knowing that she didn't really talk all that much.

"How do women style their hair here? It's not like I'm an expert in history or anything." After this I probably would be for this time period.

"Pinned back." Short and to the point, at least I got something useful out of it.

"Whatever you say, chatterbox," oh the irony, I just couldn't resist.

Occupying myself by attempting to pin my hair back into a low bun, I tried again. "What's the date? That's something I should probably know."

"March, 1728." She began packing the items into my suitcase. "I've arranged passage for you to Port Royal – they should arrive soon."

Realising that there was no way that I could stall my leaving of the dilapidated shack, I sighed. I was nervous to go outside. In here I could pretend that everything isn't real, that I'm not really in 1728, but out there…no, that's what I'm most afraid of. Out there I won't get the chance to pretend it's not real.

I placed the purse in my pocket – a hidden bag underneath all the petticoats – and fixed the hat on top of my head. There was nothing to do now but wait.

Eventually, after what I estimated to be a couple of hours, the sound of footsteps drifted through the shack. They stopped before the door, paused and three sharp knocks rapped against it, each one stabbing at my nerves like a knife. Taking a deep breath I stood up, smoothed my skirts and moved to open the door to meet the person who would be taking me on my journey.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm aware that this one is a fairly boring chapter but it's very necessary for the development and build up. I was originally going to split it into two but I figured it was better to keep it as one whole so that there aren't as many filler chapters. I also tried to stay as accurate as I could to the clothing of the time and the food. Finally it was necessary for the purposes of this story to make sense that Arabella doesn't know how to free Calypso. I know it was shown in AWE but in this time line that bit was glossed over. Thanks again for reading!


	3. An Uncomfortable Journey

I failed to reach the door in time. The person behind had clearly never heard of the phrase 'patience is a virtue' as he swung it open before two seconds had passed. Looking at the door in frustration – those extra few seconds to compose myself would have been great – only to catch sight of the man who had entered.

All I could do was stand and blink. The man was an Adonis! I'd never liked long hair on a man, but oh boy, was that look working for him. His jaw must have been chiselled out of stone because there's no way any man could have features that sharp and flawless. I stupidly let my eyes roam down a little bit, getting even more curious. I seriously wish I hadn't. His off white shirt was open over his chest and it took everything I had not to swoon on the spot. Piracy – if he even was a pirate – had been good to the man. Feeling heat rise to my cheeks and neck, I tore my gaze away.

Silence still reigned supreme in Tia Dalma's little shack, adding to my overall discomfort. Willing my face to stop resembling a tomato, I took a shaky breath and broke the silence.

"So, are you the err, the guy who's taking me?" I couldn't even speak normally whilst in the vicinity of him. It should not have been that hard to form a sentence without the word 'err' making me look like an idiot.

He didn't say anything in response, or even look at me. The only indication I received that he'd heard me was a quick nod. Brilliant, another excellent conversationalist…

"You have brought what I ask for?" Tia Dalma piped up. Again, the Adonis nodded but accompanied it with a rise of his hand which I then realised was holding onto a giant sack. As for what was in the sack, I had no idea and thinking of all the disgusting items I'd already stumbled upon in the shack, I really didn't want to know.

Tia took the bulging sack from his arms, plonked it down on a table – no doubt crushing whatever was underneath it - and tossed him a small pouch of what I guessed was full of coins. The Adonis' hand shot out so fast to catch it that it was a blur. Finally he turned his gaze on me and motioned with his free hand to follow him before walking out of the door.

I raised an eyebrow at his lack of communication and brusqueness. Who did this attractive man think he was, the Pope? Ordering me to follow him without even a single 'hello'? How rude.

I deliberately didn't follow him. If my instinct was correct – and it usually was – then he wouldn't leave without me anyway, not if Tia Dalma was involved. He was probably worried that she'd curse them or something, which I suppose isn't too far away from the truth. If she can move people in time, who's to say that she can't do other things?

Not only did I resist following the hot stranger out of stubbornness, I also did it in an attempt to stall my leaving. Now that the time had come I found that I was feeling extremely nervous and didn't want to go. Turning to Tia Dalma, who was bringing my suitcase towards the door, I spoke despite knowing that she could see right through my stalling attempt.

"You never told me how I'm supposed to find Jack!" It was a legitimate statement though. I knew that the movie timeline hadn't begun which meant that I'd probably meet Captain Sparrow in Port Royal, but I was hopeful that I could have this all sorted before then. The sooner I found out how to free Calypso then the quicker I could get home.

Tia just rolled her eyes at me. She had definitely seen through my feeble attempt.

"You will know when the time comes. Don't leave Port Royal until the right moment." How cryptic did she want to be? I'm sure that she was doing this for her own amusement.

"But how will I know when the right time is?" I was still stood where I had been rooted to the spot when the Adonis burst through the door, trying to stand my ground. That didn't last long though. Instead of replying, she took me by the arm and pulled me out of the door before slamming it closed behind her. I could have sworn I heard her muttering something along the lines of 'brainless woman'.

What is it with people and being rude to me here? So what if I didn't fancy getting into a boat with a stranger – albeit a very attractive one. I needed to keep my mind out the gutter. There was no need to pull me out of the shack for the second time in two days.

Turning around to face the door – and nearly tripping over my suitcase in the process – I pounded on it twice before shouting, "Hey, I want my pyjama's back!"

The door opened and the pyjama's hit me square in the face, before closing again to manic laughter. Grumbling under my breath, I moved to the edge of the porch and peered down to the bottom on the ladder. The Adonis – probably should find out his name, I really didn't want to keep calling him the Adonis and then embarrass myself, I do that enough already – was smirking up at me in amusement from a little rowing boat.

I rolled my eyes and moved back to the suitcase. It took me a short while to try and get the pyjamas packed safely as bending down was a struggle in the stupid stays.

Picking the suitcase up, I sighed in relief. It wasn't anywhere near as heavy and I thought it'd be. I threw it over the edge towards Adonis with a quick shout of "catch," first.

I didn't hear a splash so I think I was lucky. That could have gone disastrously wrong and ended up with me trying to fish it out of the water – a thought that made me shiver in disgust.

One issue dealt with, one more to go. How on Earth was I going to navigate getting down the rickety ladders without embarrassing myself? I'd struggle if I was wearing jeans, never mind a long skirt, stays and heels. I couldn't even bend down properly.

Taking a tentative step onto the first rung, the ladder didn't feel as rickety as it looked, I felt more confident in lowering myself down to the boat.

Unfortunately my confidence got the better of me.

One minute I was stepping onto the sixth rung – yes I was counting, it was supposed to be helping me concentrate and stay calm – and the next I was dangling in mid-air, holding on with sweaty palms to the top rung.

Why did it have to be the eighteenth century? Why couldn't it have been the twentieth or twenty- first where it's socially acceptable for women to wear trousers? Maybe then I'd have been spared the humiliation of my inability to descend a simple ladder.

My legs were flailing, my cheeks flaming and my mind screaming in embarrassment at my predicament. It was probably only a couple of seconds that I was dangling before I found my footing but it sure as heck felt like a lifetime.

Righting myself, I made my way even more slowly to the bottom of the ladder. Taking deep breaths of reassurance that I'd made it physically unscathed – psychologically not so much – I tried to twist my body to see how far down my step into the row boat would be.

I needn't have worried. Before I had chance to restrict my breathing even more in the stays, a large golden hand swallowed my small one clutching onto the ladder. I could have sworn my heart stopped for a moment before picking up the pace.

Trying to give the appearance that I was a cool, calm and collected young woman, I let him unwrap my hand from the ladder and help me onto the rowing boat. The whole time he didn't say a single word, just sat down, picked up the oars and pushed us off into the bayou.

"I can help row you know, do you have any other oars?" What a stupid question to ask! Of course he doesn't have any more oars, I was in a rowing boat, what I could see was what I was going to get. There were no hidden spots in the little boat. If he did have any spare, I dread to think where he'd produce them from…

The Adonis just shook his head and continued navigating us through the still water with his powerful arms.

"You're not one for conversation, are you?" I tried again. That was better. At least I didn't make a fool out of myself this time. I could totally do this. Again, instead of verbally replying, he just gave me a blank look and shook his head.

"Will you at least tell me your name?" Surprise surprise I didn't get an answer, merely another blank look before he went back to rowing again. Adonis he was going to stay.

Well then, if he wasn't going to talk, I wasn't going to try and get anything out of him.

In my determination to not make small talk of any kind, I let my mind wander. I had a brief moment of panic that this would be my means of getting to Port Royal – a silent man with a little rowing boat barely able to move quicker than a snail's pace.

What an overreaction.

Of course there was no way that this little boat was going to take us all the way to Port Royal, there must be a ship waiting just outside the bayou. I hoped.

He picked up the pace a little and I was secretly glad. Being out in the bayou and not in the relative safety of Tia Dalma's shack – bit of an iffy statement – was starting to bother me. Flies and other insects were swarming round us and the humidity was making the strands of hair I'd missed from my bun stick uncomfortably to my neck. I could feel myself starting to sweat in the multiple layers I was wearing. I tried not to think about it too much, and enjoyed the small breeze that came from the somewhat fast pace Adonis was now rowing.

He must have been feeling the same thing as I – the oppression of the bayou. It was enough to make anyone want to leave as quickly as possible, anyone except Tia Dalma apparently. Maybe that was why she stayed there, because it meant limited social interaction?

Occasionally I had to duck to prevent being swept up into hanging vines and being held at the mercy of their creepy crawlies. After what I estimated to be ten minutes, the trees and shrubs became less dense and more light filtered through. The stifling feeling lifted from my chest and I started to relax a little – well, as much as the darn stays would allow. I never realised just how bad my posture was before.

Not having anything to do, and trying to mind my own business I started fidgeting absentmindedly. I'd spent way too long being bored the past day and now I was starting to get impatient. Boredom didn't suit me at all.

I settled on trying to see everything that I possibly could of the bayou before we left – hopefully for good. I may not have liked it, but it was a once in a lifetime experience and I found that I sort of wanted to remember it. It was the start of what was definitely going to be a difficult task and as my bum went numb from sitting down I wondered once again just how well I was going to cope. I had to succeed or I'd die, which was a terrifying thought.

Eventually we rowed out into the open ocean. The sun relentlessly bore down on us and I was thankful for the large hat I wore which kept my face and neck in the shade. Usually I'd be lathered in factor 50 sun screen but now I'd have to make do with seeking out shade wherever possible. Adonis appeared to be thankful to be out of the bayou as he turned his face up to the sun with his eyes closed. His shirt started blowing in the breeze from the ocean. What a sight. Blushing once again, I turned away in case he noticed me staring.

A large wooden ship bobbed not too far away from the estuary into the bayou. My hands tightened on the sides of our little boat, both out of fear of the unknown and necessity – being out on the Caribbean sea meant that the still waters had turned into rolling waves. One large wave and we'd probably capsize. Pushing the thought from my mind I tried to focus on holding on without cramping my hands.

The closer we got to the ship, the larger it got. The larger the ship got, the more I started to panic. This was all really real. Apparently there had still been a seed of doubt in mind at the situation I had found myself in. Not good. I couldn't break down now, not here in front of the men who'll be manning the ship. I needed to stay strong and prove that I wasn't the weak woman that they'll undoubtedly see me as.

Bumping lightly into the side of the ship, I couldn't help but feel dwarfed and overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. I looked at Adonis awaiting instructions on how I was supposed to get onto the ship. He stood up and caused the rowing boat to rock dangerously as he reached over to the ship and pulled us along to a section where wooden slats where sticking out in a makeshift ladder. I thought climbing down a ladder was bad enough. How was I supposed to manage climbing up one in this long skirt? I was going to fall off and most likely drown or get eaten by sharks before I began this stupid mission.

You can do this Arabella. You are a strong independent woman.

Steeling my nerve as Adonis motioned for me to go first, I started to climb. Luckily my skirts weren't long enough for me to trip over, so I managed. Just. It definitely wasn't as graceful as I'd hoped but I think I was long past trying to make a good impression. Adonis had seen me dangle from a ladder. He was probably enjoying the view. I began to climb faster realising that I was in quite a vulnerable position.

A hand was outstretched over the deck waiting for me. Grabbing onto it gratefully I placed more of my weight than I probably should have done onto as they helped to pull me up and over the side. So much for being a strong independent woman… once again, my aversion to exercise had let me down.

The sun was almost unbearable with the heat it was throwing out now. I'm so going to burn. I'm going to have a delightful look of a Swizzles Squashie.

"The witch said a maiden be joinin' us on our humble journey."

I turned to face the man who had spoken. He had a big bushy beard, and bright red cheeks – a tell-tale sign of too much sun.

"Welcome aboard 'The Golden Serpent' Miss, your cabin be this way." He motioned with his hand in the general direction of the back of the ship. Why did it have to be named after a snake? Big Yellow was enough exposure to them to last me a lifetime. I didn't want to have to associate myself with anymore regardless of this being a ship and not a snake. The name was just entirely unpleasant.

"What about my luggage?" I asked. I was a bit worried that they might search through it. At that moment, Adonis's head popped up and he placed my suitcase on the deck before he disappeared once again.

"Don't you worry lassy, I'll bring it to your room," the man picked up my suitcase and we started walking along the bobbing ship. The motion was going to take a little getting used to, I felt a bit like Bambi taking his first steps with the way that I was wobbling all over the place. The man chuckled to himself lightly.

"Yet to get yer sea legs, eh?"

"Yes, apparently so," I replied somewhat snappily. I didn't find it very amusing. The rocking of the ship was getting to me more than I would have liked. As we moved further towards the back of the ship, the crew were running round us, readying us for setting sail.

Finally we went below deck and reached my little cabin. It was tiny. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't this. There was just enough space for a small bed and a vanity with a bowl on top. If it weren't for the little window letting in some light, I'd be feeling extremely claustrophobic. I reckon if I stood in the middle of the room and stretched out my arms I could probably had touched both walls.

Unfortunately being below deck combined with the rocking was making me feel somewhat queasy. This wasn't good. Whilst I was resolving to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air – if I could find some shade – I turned to thank the pirate who had brought me here. Before I could get a word in, he beat me to it.

"I won't be asking what your business is with the witch, so long as I get the payment I were promised." He held out a grubby hand greedily awaiting money, his eyes glinting mischievously. Luckily Tia Dalma had warned me that something like this would happen, so I didn't panic. Turns out she did offer some useful information after all.

"Mr…I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." I decided to reply after I'd eyed his hand in disdain.

"Mr Smith," he supplied, with a smirk. Of course it is, and I'm the bloody Queen of England…

"Well then, Mr Smith," I drew out his name, hinting that I knew it was an alias. "You shall receive payment as soon as I step foot onto the docks of Port Royal and not a penny before."

Mr Smith's smirk dropped in a flash to settle into a mixture between a frown and a shocked face. Seeing that he was about to interrupt me I quickly continued speaking.

"You must think me a fool. You didn't think I'd know that if I handed over the money right now, you'd abandon me at the nearest port without any other means? Besides, I am under the protection of the 'witch' as you so ungraciously call her."

Ha. How was that for blending in as an eighteenth century woman? On second thoughts probably not the best, women weren't as outspoken in this time, however I was very limited on choices. I wasn't about to be swindled out of my money by pirates. I wasn't that stupid.

The not so subtle mention of Tia Dalma had caused Mr Smith's expression to become even more shocked. I had to fight not to smile it. He somewhat resembled an animal who'd found out that the last treat had been eaten before he could have some. Sadly, I couldn't get as much enjoyment out of it as I wanted. The ship had very clearly lifted anchor and set sail if the increased bobbing was anything to go by, and it made my nausea become ten times worse.

"Oh, and how about this," I added. "You don't inquire into my business with Tia Dalma – that's her name by the way – and I won't inquire into yours, deal?"

I held out my hand to shake on it, trying to focus on anything except that the fact that I might actually be getting sea sick. He stared at me with that shocked expression before composing himself. Stroking his beard he began to smirk, luckily with his mouth closed. The pungent smell of his breath had not been helping with the sickness. He glanced down at my outstretched hand and eventually shook it firmly.

"Aye, yer have yerself a deal Miss…I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?" The nerve of the man, throwing my own words back at me! I had to laugh at the audacity. Two could play at that game.

"Miss Smith. What a coincidence, eh?" I really thought that I was going to throw up from the movement of the ship. There was no chance of me disembarking to the safety of steady land that didn't lurch from one side to the next. Mr Smith just chuckled at my response.

"O' course. I'll be leavin' yer to get settled." He walked over to the door before turning back to face me.

"Oh, and Miss Smith?"

I hummed in response, bringing my hand up to cover my lips. At this point I didn't trust myself not to throw up all over the floor. I was starting to feel cold all over, yet my forehead was becoming increasingly sweaty.

"You're looking a little green. Out on deck is where you need to be." He walked out, leaving a key for the door on the end of the bed and chuckled as he went.

Oh thank god, I thought he'd never leave. My heartbeat was deafening in my ears as I stumbled over to the large bowl on the vanity, and emptied the contents of my stomach. This was not good. I could not be sea sick. Wrinkling my nose at the smell, picked up the sick bowl, and chucked the contents out of the open window, into the sea below.

I wished that I had toothpaste once again. My teeth were starting to feel gross and I wanted some minty freshness to get rid of the taste of vomit from my mouth. Deciding to listen to Mr Smith's advice, I picked up the key and locked the door on my way out.

I hurried up onto the deck where the fresh air made me feel a little better. Looking up, I saw Mr Smith laughing at the wheel. Wanting to avoid him and his laughter, I headed in the opposite direction to the front of the ship in search of some shade.

I finally found some behind a couple of barrels that had yet to go below deck. Sitting down I started worrying at my lip and wringing my hands.

Why did I have to be seasick? Hopefully it won't last long and will go away soon. Maybe I just have to get used to it and then I'll be ok. What if I don't? How on Earth am I going to manage this task if it involves me being on ships at sea for the majority of the time? I'd always liked the sea and swimming in it whilst at the beach, why did my body have to let me down now? Captain Jack Sparrow would not want a woman accompanying him who spent most of the time throwing up over the side of the ship. I'd be a hindrance to their rescue. The growing sense of dread that had been building over the course of the little journey made itself known.

Stumbling up, I threw myself to the railings of the ship before leaning over and emptying the rest of my stomach, much to the amusement of the crew if their laughter was anything to go by.

Feeling weak, I lowered myself back down into my little shaded nook and hoped to anybody that would listen that we'd make it to Port Royal in record time, and that this seasickness was not a permanent thing. Like Mr Smith said, I needed to get my sea legs and I needed to get them fast.

* * *

A/N: Hello! Sorry, no Captain Jack, Will or Elizabeth yet! Don't worry, we shall see them soon. I have this whole story planned out from start to finish, so I'm hopeful that if I don't deviate too much from it you should be seeing them within the next few chapters. Sorry if you're finding it a bit of a slow start, the movie timeline will begin hopefully around chapter eight. Let me know what you think and thank you again for reading!


	4. An Accidental Meeting

Three days it took to reach Port Royal, three hellish days where I could barely eat for fear of bringing it back up again. I didn't get my sea legs like I'd hoped I would. Although, the third day I was on board was much better than the first two – I'd managed to not throw up, but I still felt extremely queasy. Saddened though I was at being seasick, it was over shone by the wrenching upset that I felt deep in my bones at the fact that I'd wasted multiple cups of black tea on the journey. It did make me wonder how I'd have fared if I had ginger tea at my disposal, after all, ginger was supposed to help with nausea.

Most of my time was spent out on the top deck in the fresh air, and the only movement I did was diving for the railings to throw up my meagre rations and back again to the shade to hide from the relentless Caribbean sun.

The journey, I had been assured by Mr Smith, would usually only take a day. We were just very unlucky in that the wind had changed direction. Hopefully this wasn't a bad omen for my impending task, that'd be just my luck.

It was around midday when Mr Smith approached me in my shaded nook. I placed my hat back on my head and rose to meet him, trying not to move too fast – I was feeling very weak from the lack of food and fluids.

"Reckon 'nother hour or so and we be making port, Miss Smith." He said with a kind smile.

We'd bonded a little over the journey. When I wasn't leaning over the railings being sick, I'd quickly discovered that there wasn't all that much to do on board a ship as the sole passenger. I didn't have a job – nor did I volunteer. They wouldn't have accepted my help anyway; I'd be more of a hindrance not knowing what I was doing and constantly stopping to throw up.

I also didn't have anything else to keep me occupied. I'd searching through my suitcase and found the only things of interest were a letter of recommendation and a job posting at Governor Swann's household as a maid for Elizabeth. How Tia Dalma had managed to secure this for me, I had no idea and I really didn't want to know. That woman – goddess, or whatever she is - made me nervous.

As a result of my boredom, I did something quite uncharacteristic and sought out company and social interaction whenever the crew came close to me. Mr Smith was the one to bring me my meals and from there the conversations started – stilted and slow at first before quickly morphing into friendly banter. It was through one of these conversations over a small meal - that came back up about half an hour later - that I discovered the crew of The Golden Serpent weren't actually pirates but merchants. I was so shocked when he told me that I'd started choking on the spoonful of food in my mouth. Merchants they may be but I suspected they did a lot of dodgy dealing and a bit of piracy on the side. It was an excellent cover, this way they wouldn't be branded and would be able to make port at any dock they wanted with the guise of selling their wares.

I smiled back and muttered, "Thank you," before walking slowly back down to my cabin.

Quickly glancing around I made sure that I had everything I needed. I double checked my purse in my pocket and hurried back out onto the deck whilst pinning my hat into place. If there was ever a time to make myself look like a presentable eighteenth century woman it was now.

I watched curiously as the deck turned into a manic hive of activity whilst we made port amongst other ships. I spotted the Dauntless in its huge majestic glory rolling slightly with the waves dominating everything in sight. Turning my gaze back to the dock, I waited patiently. I needed to find a chance when the crew would be occupied to try and get away without making payment. Mr Smith had told me the amount that I owed on our arrival and it was more than I had in my purse. I didn't want to do a runner, after all, I quite liked the man, but my needs prevailed.

Eventually a couple of planks were lowered onto the dock and the crew started unloading the barrels filled with their wares. Further down the dock was a man in a long pale coat, tri-cone hat and circular glasses – the kind that Harry Potter would wear – holding a book and a quill. A little boy, dressed in beige baggy clothing trotted along behind him, both heading towards The Golden Serpent.

"Miss Smith, lemme give yer a hand," Mr Smith called out from behind me. I was just about to step shakily onto one of the planks and make my escape. Now how was I going to get away undetected? Cursing under my breath I turned around to see the middle aged man jogging towards me. He extended his hand and I took it gingerly, trying not to be too rude and give away what I had been thinking.

Patting my hand with his free one, he spoke. "Can't be 'aving yer out o' me sights when yer owe me some money now, can we lass?" I had to give it to him, he was one smart cookie. I wondered if his caution was from experience.

Giving a short – and entirely fake – nervous laugh, I tried to focus on keeping my balance whilst walking down the plank. I didn't want to embarrass myself any more than I already had done in front of the crew. It'd be just my luck to get this far and topple over into the water head first. Although, it might cool me down from the heat.

I glanced up to look at Mr Smith once we reached the safety of the dock only to see his blue eyes sparkling down at me in mischief. He'd totally known what I was planning on doing. The fact that I'd avoided speaking about money whenever he brought it up must have been a dead give-away.

How was I going to get out of this situation now? Quick thinking in this heat was not my strong suit. The warmth was making me extremely lethargic. Maybe they had siesta's here? That'd be the best news ever – I was a firm believer that there's nothing better than a nice nap around mid-afternoon.

Feeling the solid wood underneath my feet that didn't move with the ocean, I sighed in relief. If I weren't surrounded by other people – or wearing the awful stays – I would've kissed the ground. My happiness at being on solid ground didn't last long as panic started to bloom in my chest. The realisation that I was going to have to part with all of my money was not a welcome one.

"Excuse me sir, but it's a shilling to tie up a boat at the docks! And what's all this yer unloading?" The man in the long coat had finally reached us and spoke in a very snobby tone. I snorted under my breath as I realised that soon this would be the man to let Captain Sparrow into Port Royal after a bribe.

Mr Smith let go of my hand and turned to the man with a sly smirk that I knew meant business. If I could have one guess, I'd say that some more bribery was about to go down – money had clearly always made the world go round.

As I turned to watch them wander down to the back end of the ship, my eyes latched on to Adonis hauling a barrel down the wooden planks single-handedly. Good lord, the amount of strength that man must have possessed was insane! Feeling my cheeks warm up, I glanced away before he could catch me staring.

The whole time I had been on board The Golden Serpent, Adonis didn't speak. Not to me and not to any of the crew. I had come to the conclusion that perhaps he was mute. I don't know how my ovaries would cope if he was able to talk and I heard his voice. I imagined that it would be a rough, deep baritone and just that was enough to set my ovaries screaming at me in want.

I glanced up again to where Adonis was striding down the plank with the barrel, back to where Mr Smith – with his back to me - was having a heated discussion with the ship records man, before looking the other way down the dock – the way that led into Port Royal. The way that wasn't being watched by anyone. The way that I could make my quick escape. Before I could give it another thought, I picked up my suitcase and walked purposefully towards the town.

It felt like luck was definitely on my side, but time was running out. The first row of houses in Port Royal was quite a distance back from the docks. I just had to hope that the records keeper would keep Mr Smith in a heated discussion long enough for me to make it.

"OI! Get back 'ere wit' me money!" Mr Smith shouted. Gone was the nice man who'd befriended me on the journey. In his place was a man determined to get his money back and it sounded like he'd stop at nothing to get it.

I probably shouldn't have mentioned luck, it must have jinxed it. I broke into a run – well as much of a run as I could manage in the heavy clothes and heels – and stumbled my way along the rest of the uneven planks of the dock.

"Hey, Miss! Stop!" He wheezed from a distance behind me. I could only hope that my sneaky head start would make a difference and help me get away. I felt kind of bad for the man, he only wanted what was promised to him, but at the same time, my want for self-preservation was stronger and won.

My breathing wasn't faring any better than Mr Smith's. It was becoming more rapid and I was aware that I was slowing down ever so slightly – the combination of a lack of exercise and the heavy dress making it more difficult than it really should have been. My heart felt like it was pounding in my ears and I was starting to go light headed.

This couldn't happen now, I needed to get away first! If I passed out, they'd take everything, including my suitcase.

Pushing myself faster, I headed straight for a dirt road between two wooden houses. I nearly sobbed in relief when I reached the shade; it felt amazing on my burning arms. The suitcase was slapping against my legs, making each stride more painful than the last. There was bound to be a lovely black bruise forming there from the repeated assault.

Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. I kept repeating the mantra as I skidded around the houses, weaving away from the main dirt road that I had first been on. Every so often I kept looking back over my shoulder to make sure that I wasn't being followed. Mr Smith's shouting had started to become quieter until it eventually stopped altogether.

Running into what I suspected was a back alley, I finally halted. I leaned back against a wooden house and held my hands on my side which was throbbing with an awful stitch and tried to take deep breaths.

God, I was so out of shape. I didn't think that I'd be running for my life this soon on the mission. Taking deep breaths turned out to be a huge mistake as I finally calmed down enough to register the rotten excrement smell. I'd forgotten that sewage systems were unheard of still. Plugging my nose with my fingers, I tried to breathe shallowly through my mouth.

Eventually I couldn't take the smell any more. My breathing had returned to normal and the stitch in my side became a dull ache that I could easily ignore, so I picked up my suitcase that had miraculously managed to stay intact – if a little scuffed - after being bounced on multiple houses and scurried out of the rancid alleyway.

In my haste to escape the smell I rushed around the corner without watching where I was going and bounced off something very solid. Landing heavily, I looked up to see that the something solid was actually someone solid, someone who had only stumbled back a couple of paces unlike me who was sprawled out on the floor.

"I'm so sorry," I quickly muttered. I didn't need to be on anybody else's bad side right now. Not when there was a very good chance that Mr Smith and his crew could still be searching for me and their payment.

"I feel that I should be the one apologising, after all, you appear to have ended up worse off," the man who I had run into gestured towards my figure still slumped in the dirt.

"Allow me to help?" He questioned whilst bending a hand down towards me. I took it gratefully, ignoring the pain in my ribs from the stays. Brushing dirt off my skirt, I tried to make myself look presentable once again and not like I had just been running wildly for the last ten minutes.

"Thank you. I'm still sorry for running into you, I'm so embarrassed." Now that my eyes had adjusted to being out in the almost blinding sun again and I wasn't preoccupied with making sure that my hair was still fixed in place, I managed to get a good look at the man.

Dark brunette hair was slicked back and tied at the nape of his neck, emphasising his square jaw and wide golden eyes. Stubble lined his upper lip and chin, drawing attention to his shapely lips, which were turned up into a small smile. His clothes weren't the rich fabrics favoured by the wealthy, they appeared to be well worn and used though not too dirty. Clearly the man wasn't too poor if his put together appearance was anything to go by. Also, why did every man that I had embarrassed myself in front of have to be attractive? It's like I was cursed.

He bent down and picked up my suitcase.

"You must be new here. Just arrived?" He questioned.

"Yes," I kept my answer short and to the point, eyeing my suitcase warily. I suddenly wasn't so sure that the man might decide to take it for himself and I definitely wasn't a fan of the idea of running after it.

"British," he murmured. "How was the crossing from England?"

Quirking an eyebrow, I responded. "How'd you know?" I crossed my arms for good measure, to hint that I wasn't entirely comfortable with this line of questioning.

"You've got a suitcase," he lifted it in his arm when he mentioned it.

"I could be leaving Port Royal for all you know," I sassed back.

"Perhaps, but I'm sure I would have seen you around. This town isn't that big." He gestured with his free hand to start walking down the street. Seeing no other choice, I followed trying to keep pace with him. Once again my short stature meant that what was a brusque walk for somebody else was a jog for me.

"You're right, I just arrived. May I have my suitcase back? I have somewhere that I need to be." He chuckled before handing it over to me. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad. He definitely hadn't been mean, just inquisitive. I should try and stop being so suspicious of people but then that's easier said than done when I'm entirely out of my comfort zone.

"It seems that now I'm the one who should apologise, I've completely forgotten to introduce myself." He faced me whilst we were still walking in an unknown direction. "Mr Turner."

It took every ounce of self-control that I possessed to not widen my eyes in surprise. Out of all the people I could have run into, it had to be William Turner. Blinking away my shock I replied with a small smile.

"Miss Fenn." There was no point in using an alias when I'd be spending more time with him soon if all went to plan. It'd just get too confusing for me to keep track of another lie on top of what was bound to be an intricate web.

Whilst I was trying to work out what to say next, I realised that I had no idea where I was going. Tia Dalma had told me that a Mr Ainsworth would be expecting me at the local inn, but I'd run so far into the town in my panic that I couldn't remember which turnings I'd taken.

"I wonder Mr Turner, as I'm new here and all, and don't know my way, if you might point me in the direction of The Coach and Horses?"

Voicing my concern at my lack of knowledge was quite a scary thing to do. I didn't truly know if the movies had been accurate towards each characters disposition. Whilst Tia Dalma was an excellent portrayal, I didn't know if it would be the case with the others. I decided to stay on the wary side just in case. So much for trying not to be suspicious.

"Of course, you've already passed it. I have enough time to show you where it is."

He turned around to go in the opposite direction in which we'd been walking. Brilliant, I'd already run by it. How embarrassing, yet again. We walked in a some-what comfortable silence for a couple of minutes before Will piped up with his questioning again.

"What brings you over to Port Royal, Miss Fenn. If you don't mind me asking?" Nervousness laced his tone. I wasn't sure why it would though; maybe he thought he was overstepping a boundary by asking? Not being familiar with the niceties and manners of the time was posing a more difficult challenge than I thought it would.

I tried to give a comfortable smile to help him feel at ease. "I've accepted a job posting here. It's an honour to have been chosen."

Seeing that I wasn't shutting the conversation down, he visibly looked more at ease and the conversation started to flow once more.

"What job?"

"I'm to be a maid in the Governor's household."

"That's definitely an honour. You must have come highly recommended if they shipped you in from England."

I chuckled, if only he knew that was a lie.

"Yes, well, I'm good at what I do." I replied boastfully. "Are you familiar with the Governor's family? What are they like?" Even though I already knew what kind of employers the Swann's were from the films, I still wanted Will's opinion, if only for my own amusement. I wanted to see whether he was visibly in love with Elizabeth or a master at hiding his feelings.

"I'm not familiar; someone of my station could never hope to be. I'm a blacksmith by trade you see. The Governor expects hard work and loyalty but you'll be well rewarded for it. As for the Miss Swann, I've heard nothing but wonderful things about her. She's a benevolent young woman, and it will be a privilege for you to work for her." Love radiated throughout his tone as he spoke about Elizabeth. Poor guy, he had it real bad.

"Well, that's reassuring to hear. Thank you." At that point, I happened to look up. We had come to a standstill outside the Coach and Horses. "This is me," I pointed up at the sign hanging from above the door. "Thank you for showing me the way Mr Turner. If there's anything I can do to repay you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"You're welcome Miss Fenn, and welcome to Port Royal. Good luck with your new posting. I really must be heading back now. It was good to meet you, try not to run into any other people today." With that said he turned on his heel and marched away chuckling.

I watched him walk back the way we had come and hoped that he hadn't gone to out of his way to bring me here and got into any trouble with his employer. He's going to be in enough trouble as it is once this is all over.

Steeling my nerves and taking another deep breath – I seemed to be doing that a lot today – I opened the door and wandered cautiously into the Coach and Horses. My eyes took a short while to adjust to the dim lighting inside and my ears were instantly abused with awful signing and drunks trying to drink themselves into oblivion. Although it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been – I dreaded to think what Tortuga was going to be like – it was still surprising that there were so many men already merrily on their way to make terrible alcohol induced decisions. How was I supposed to pick out Mr Ainsworth in this crowd?

Luckily I didn't have to worry too much about winding my way through the crowd and asking each individual if they were the man whom I was looking for, as he approached me.

Mr Ainsworth was a very well put together man who gave off an air of importance. His whole appearance shouted butler for a well-to-do family and he stuck out like sore thumb in this establishment.

"Miss Fenn?" He questioned as he approached. I nodded in acknowledgment.

"Excellent. I'm Mr Ainsworth, pleased to make your acquaintance. You're right on time, so let's be off shall we?" Mr Ainsworth's voice betrayed an eagerness to get out of the inn, a sentiment which I whole heartedly shared. He made to take my suitcase off me which I happily handed over and together we strode out of the dingy establishment.

"I hope you don't mind Miss, but it is quite a walk up to the house," he spoke authoritatively, implying that I could mind but there was nothing to be done about it.

"Of course not," I replied even though my feet were in agony from being pinched by my heels and I felt like I had done enough exercise to last me for a month. Feeling the need to stay polite and in his good graces seemed like the better thing to do though, so I didn't voice my complaints. Besides, he didn't need to know that I had only just run away from merchants/pirates not even an hour ago.

Oh yes, 'I come 'highly recommended' but I'm affiliated with pirates and I refused to give them money so they're chasing me' is what every employer would want to know. No, that would not be a great start to a new job and one thing amongst many that I planned on hiding from Mr Ainsworth. After all, as the household Butler he would technically also be my boss.

Every so often as we walked through the town I kept glancing around to make sure that none of the crew of The Golden Serpent was around. Fortune was on my side as we cleared the last of the houses and started to head up a steady incline.

I listened with half an ear as Mr Ainsworth prattled on about what the Swann family were like to work for, and added an 'hmm', 'ahh' and other non-committal noises when appropriate. It seemed to work as he clearly thought I was very interested in everything he was telling me. Once he got started on the history of the family name, I started to tune out and pay more attention to my surroundings.

The view was stunning from how high up we were. Looking back down at the way we had come, the ocean sparkled flinging iridescent beams of light everywhere you looked. The hills around us were a mixture of brilliant white sand and a lush green. It was extremely beautiful and made me wish that I had a camera to capture it all. Instead I had to rely on my memory.

No matter how stunning the view was though, it didn't distract me from the burning of my arms that weren't hidden in the safety of my blouse. The sleeves only came down to my elbow and my forearms were glowing a disconcerting pink. I'd tried so hard in the past couple of days to avoid sunburn and I spend one hour out in the sun and I'm already looking like a lobster. At least it was only my arms and not face. I didn't need to be looking like a tomato when I meet Governor Swann. It wouldn't be a great first impression.

Eventually a large brick manor house rose out of the ground and peered imperiously down on us making me feel very inadequate. The Governor's household was majestic and beautiful. I'd been to visit manor houses owned by the National Trust before but they didn't hold a candle to actually seeing one in the time which it was built. To see it not marred by modern technology was an outstanding experience. Of course, I'd probably soon change my mind once I started work. That outstanding experience would change into an infuriating one. Simple tasks would take about ten times longer to complete.

Mr Ainsworth must have seen my jaw drop upon seeing the gated manor and felt the need to comment. "Yes, it's quite something isn't it? Very grand indeed."

"Quite," I murmured in agreement. I kept rubbing my arms to try and alleviate some of the stinging. It drew Mr Ainsworth's attention.

"Oh dear, I forgot you wouldn't be so used to the sun. Come, let us hurry. I'll call Estrella and get you some aloe vera sorted for those burns. Luckily you don't start work until tomorrow, to allow you time to settle in. You must be sure to thank the Governor and his daughter for their kindness for this." I was starting to realise that once he latched onto something, Mr Ainsworth could talk for a long time without a pause unless he was interrupted. He set off at a fast pace making me once again jog to keep up and we entered the grand house through the servant entrance.

Getting used to the light difference in and outside of the building was going to take a while. I stood still for a moment as my temporary blindness passed, only to catch sight of Mr Ainsworth practically jogging round the corner at the end of the corridor. Hurrying to catch up, I nearly tripped over my shoes in the process.

"Estrella, please fetch some aloe vera for Miss Fenn here. Her pale skin is not well suited to the Caribbean sun," he spoke somewhat sternly. I couldn't help having ginger genes; he'd have my parents to blame for that.

A short woman in a maid outfit – brown dress with a white apron over the top and a bonnet covering her hair – hastily retrieved an aloe plant and cut it open in the kitchen before returning to me.

"Here you are Miss," she spoke to me. "Just take a seat and I'll get you sorted." I did as directed whilst Mr Ainsworth placed my suitcase down next to me.

"I have duties that must be taken care off. I trust you can handle things from here, Estrella?" She nodded in response. "Good. Miss Fenn, it has been a pleasure meeting you. Estrella will talk you through your job requirements and any questions that you should have. Now, if you'll excuse me," Mr Ainsworth spoke rather hastily and strode purposefully away. I didn't feel the need to say anything in response as it sounded like he was dismissing us from his company rather than the other way round.

"Miss Fenn was it?" Estrella asked as she took one of my arms and started rubbing the aloe vera gel on the burn.

"Arabella," I replied. "Nice to meet you."

I was beginning to get a bit fed up of introductions today. I'd already used up my limited amount for social interaction and was beginning to feel very drained. That could also have been from the lack of food and water as well.

"Likewise. Once that dries, I'll show you to our room. You'll be sharing with me until I leave next month."

"You're leaving?" I questioned. If Estrella was leaving next month then I'd be closer to meeting Captain Sparrow that I'd originally thought.

"Yes, I'm about to be married you see. My Ralph proposed just last week." She exclaimed happily.

"Congratulations!" I tried to make it sound as happy as I could but I was so tired at this point that it fell flat. Estrella didn't let it get to her though as she kept smiling.

"Don't worry, I remember my first day in Port Royal too. I was so tired and overwhelmed that I had an awful disposition. It's nothing that a quick sleep and some food can't fix. Up you get, I'll cover for you for an hour. Say that your burns are quite severe and you need some rest to let them heal before I show you around."

I was immensely grateful for this show of compassion and followed her dutifully as she led me from the kitchen. Getting the feeling that Estrella was going to be a valuable friend, I smiled. She made me feel a little more at ease in this bizarre situation.

Estrella led me up a narrow flight of stairs that I suspected only the servants used, all the way up to the top of the manor house into what looked like a servant's wing. She opened the door to the second room along and motioned for me to enter.

The bedroom was even more sparse than the one I'd had on The Golden Serpent. Two beds were pushed against the far wall with a chest of drawers situated between them, upon which sat a mirror and a bowl underneath a small window. On the right hand side was an open fireplace that looked like it hadn't been used in a while.

"This one's yours. I'll come back and wake you up in an hour." After motioning to the bed closest to the door, she left closing the door behind her. I quickly placed my suitcase down and almost collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep slumber before my head hit the lone pillow.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! So, another filler chapter, but I quite enjoyed writing this one. We've finally met Will Turner! I was originally going to write about Arabella's time on The Golden Serpent but I decided that it'd be better to gloss over it as it just didn't want to flow right. Also, I've changed my estimate on when the movie timeline begins. I reckon another one or two filler chapters and I'll have rounded out Arabella's character enough to feel comfortable with it beginning. Please feel free to point out any mistakes for me! I don't have a beta reader.

Lastly, Uni has just started up again this week and between working full time as well I don't have a lot of time left over for writing. I'm hopeful that I can stick to my once a week uploads! See you next time!


	5. An Unanticipated Development

Apparently I had been here for a week. Estrella had rudely awoken me spouting some nonsense about spending more time getting ready because today was a big day for me. Today was the day I chaperoned Miss Elizabeth Swann on her outing with Captain James Norrington on my own for the first time. Whilst Estrella pulled roughly at my hair – it felt like she was scalping me – I thought back on what a week it'd been.

I had trouble believing that I'd been in Port Royal for so long. My job kept me extremely busy and I soon became best friends with the bone tiring exhaustion that accompanied it.

Being a maid in the eighteenth century was not an easy life at all. It became even more intense when my sunburn had healed, apparently before I had been taking it easy!

It would have been easier to run five miles every day in the scorching heat. There's no wonder that Estrella was getting herself hitched, she probably figured that a life as a housewife and a stay at home mother – in this era she'd most likely be knocked up within a week – would be less intensive.

Of course I'd spoken to her about it one morning to try to figure out if it really was her choice or something that she felt pressured into doing because of societal expectations. My feminist side tried to stomp through my speech, but I kept her principled opinions firmly locked away. However, even a child could see that Estrella was madly in love with 'her Ralph'.

I quickly learned that Estrella was quite obsessive over Ralph when she spoke. She always referred to him as 'my Ralph' with a dreamy faraway look. Sometimes she was actually a bit sickening when she was getting all romantic about him. When I told her as much she just laughed it off like I'd said the funniest thing in the world.

"One day, you'll meet a man who will sweep you off your feet and you'll be just as 'sickening' as me. He'll take you by surprise and you won't be able to help it." She'd said whilst scrubbing the floor in Elizabeth's bedroom.

Fat chance of that happening. For one thing, I strongly believed that I didn't possess a single romantic bone in my body. And for two, even if it did happen and I miraculously grew a romantic bone, it'd be way off in the future. Practically three hundred years in the future. Not that I could tell Estrella that. There's no way I'd be stupid enough to fall for anybody here out of my own timeline. I most likely wouldn't be here long enough for anything more than a crush – which I'd already had, I mean, I only had to take one look at Adonis and I was instantly attracted.

So, rather than revealing my secret, I merely replied that it was very unlikely and turned my attention to the scrubbing, feeling that I was slacking in comparison to the seasoned maid.

Estrella and I had formed a fast friendship, just like I thought we would, ever since she woke me from my nap on my first day as promised with the additional gifts of bread and cheese hidden in her apron. We had sat on my bed munching away whilst she spoke of how she smuggled them up from kitchen right under Mr Ainsworth's long beaky nose.

Luckily we'd finished devouring our stolen goods before Mr Ainsworth himself knocked on the door asking if we were decent and if he might be permitted to enter. He'd apparently heard us chatting but, fortunately for us, hadn't been able to make anything out. I doubt he would have been as pleasant if he'd heard us comparing his nose to that of a bird.

Either way we were still subjected to a lecture – what would be my first of many, I had a problem with authority it would seem – about how we "couldn't be expected to withhold from frivolous chatter as was in the nature of women" and that as long as we completed our jobs to his "impeccable standards" he wouldn't feel it prudent to be too harsh on us. What a pompous – not to mention sexist – twit.

Estrella and I usually twittered on – in our delicately frivolous womanly ways - about anything and everything when the opportunity presented itself. One such time happened a few days after I had arrived and was starting to settle in. The fact that I knew I was stuck here until Captain Sparrow arrived hit me quite hard whilst we were dusting in the parlour.

Home sickness was something that I had never been accustomed to, on account of my moving constantly in my childhood and teen years. If you don't stay in one place long enough then you don't have a tendency to get attached. I'd stopped bouncing around from place to place when I finally came to stay with Amy's family and from there we found a flat to rent together once we left for university. It was the longest that I had stayed in one place and I liked the familiarity of it.

Estrella was a big help that day. She let me vent my feelings too her, consoled me when the inevitable tears fell and didn't ask too many questions about my family. From the clipped answers that I gave her she'd cleverly realised that I didn't have any parents to speak of and that it was a touchy subject. The only things that I could really offer her in return were my never ending gratitude at everything she'd done for me and that Amy was my only living relative. Too leave her behind for what was perceived by Estrella – me, most definitely not – as the job of a lifetime was a difficult but necessary choice. Ha, like I actually had a choice in the matter.

Estrella, being the intuitive woman that she was, also helped to cheer me up when she noticed me moping over the loving family dynamic between the Governor and Elizabeth. Discreetly observing their interactions awakened a longing in me that I hadn't felt since I'd first arrived at Amy's mum's house. I'd really missed out on a normal family life and it showed.

Of course it wasn't all moping about and feeling exhausted, there were good times as well. Ms Moore, more commonly known as Cook - her first name was a closely guarded secret, I suspected it was an embarrassing one – had taken a liking to me and slipped me little extras at meal times when people weren't looking. Of course I helped to solidify my friendship with Estrella through pure bribery by sharing some of the extra food with her.

Last night, when we were settling down to sleep after savouring a rare cup of black tea with a slice of lemon that Cook had gifted me; I finally addressed something that was beginning to bother me. Elizabeth Swann.

Around her father and other members of her high class society, she behaved exactly as I expected her too – a woman of high social standing with a blatant disregard to her servants. However when she was around Estrella that all changed and the grandiose exterior dropped. Left in its wake was a young adult desperate for a solid friendship and the company from those her own age. And a solid friendship the two of them had. It reminded me a bit of myself and Amy, which of course made me sad, especially when I realised that Elizabeth perceived me as a threat and was judging my character.

When it came to associating with me, her high class attitude and standoffish behaviour was quite shocking but I took it all in my stride. I knew that this wasn't going to be easy but I never would have guessed that my first challenging situation on this stupid mission of mine was going to be befriending Elizabeth.

Of course, when I'd voiced my concerns about Elizabeth's character, Estrella reassured me.

"She's still getting used to you Ara." I had been gifted with a nickname now. "Changing maids is a very big event in a life for a woman like her. Plus I think the news of my marriage hit her hard. We're still trying to find a way for her to attend my wedding without any of her kind knowing about it."

I offered an 'hmm' in response when she fell silent.

It's not like I actually needed to befriend Elizabeth, I wouldn't be spending all that much time with her if things went according to plan. Although, if she's acting like this now it didn't bode well for me in the future when she finds out that I've spent a lot of hours with her beloved Will. Well, that is if they – Captain Sparrow and Will - let me join in on their daring rescue. I still hadn't figured out how to wing that one yet.

My issue with Elizabeth mainly boiled down to one thing - I'm a people pleaser, always have been and I always will be. I wanted Elizabeth to like me. I wanted to make a good impression. It's only natural that I didn't believe the whole 'getting used to you' guise.

A psychologist would probably take one look at me and this people pleasing business and automatically know that I had a traumatic childhood which had resulted in long lasting psychological damage. Then again, if I ever said anything about what I'm currently experiencing – the eighteenth century as a whole – I'd be locked up faster than I could say 'I'm not away with the fairies' and the traumatic childhood would seal my fate for a life time of therapy.

Sensing my disbelief at her faith in Elizabeth, Estrella decided to carry on defending her bestie.

"Ana, she's worried. We've practically grown up together you see. I've been her maid since she first arrived here from England eight years ago. In a couple of weeks I'm not going to be here anymore. She won't be able to come visit me, for one her father wouldn't allow his precious girl to go gallivanting off with the riff raff and for two, she'd become a social pariah. I couldn't do that to her." Estrella finished her sorrowful tale with a wistful sigh.

Feeling the need to cheer her up, after all I was the one who made her sad in the first place, I said, "well, why couldn't you visit her here? Surely you'd be welcomed back?"

"Not really. I could probably visit once or twice under the pretence of seeing Cook but that's not nearly enough."

That was when I decided that I'd do all I could to help Estrella and Elizabeth stay in contact, even after I'd gone. I didn't know what I could do straight away, but I had some time to think about it. Remorse flowed through my veins; I really hadn't meant to upset her.

"Estrella, how'd you feel about me calling you Ella, or Es?" I rambled, completely out of the blue.

"I like Ella, that'd be nice. Thank you Ana." I could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"No problem."

I slept somewhat better than the previous nights. I guess it was to do with making someone that I had come to care about happy, even if it was from the most simple thing like making up a nickname.

A sharp tug at my stays had me careening back to the here and now. Ella had moved her torture from my poor scalp to my tender waist.

"You know, I'm not the one doing the courting right? I would very much like to breathe normally," I gasped through the increasingly tightening stays. The benefit of doing them up myself had meant that I didn't make them as tight as this.

"Oh hush, you're going into the town! You never know who you might meet, and trust me, you'll want to make a good impression."

With another tug at the laces and a gasp from me I responded somewhat breathlessly. "Does it really have to be this tight? Nobody is going to take any notice of me trotting along behind Miss Elizabeth," I moaned like a petulant child.

"Yes and you could at least pretend to be excited. It's how I met my Ralph you know, on an outing just like this," Ella replied. Finally she had finished with her torture.

"Here, put this on." She handed me a white and pale blue striped blouse with ruffles around the neckline and a matching skirt. I took them from her with a confused look on my face.

"Lizzy prefers it if we wear something less conspicuous than the maids dress when we're chaperoning. She thinks that it draws less attention to her. So I had this made for you, I hope that you like it." Ella looked at me shyly waiting for my approval.

Rather than saying anything – I couldn't if I wanted to – I placed the fabric onto the bed gently and flung my arms around her. Knowing that she'd spent some of her meagre earnings on me caused a lump to settle in my throat. I had no idea how to express my gratitude.

"Right, as lovely as this is, we really don't have time for this. You get ready and I'll talk," she turned serious in an instant. I did as she commanded and listened intently.

"I know that you're feeling nervous but please try not to let it show, Lizzy will really appreciate it. Make sure that Norrington avoids all physical contact except that which is necessary such as offering his arm. Although he is a fine respectable man, Lizzy is still uncomfortable around him. He's affections are quite clear and sometimes he forgets his place."

Seeing my horrified look she quickly added, "He won't do anything untoward and ruin Lizzy's reputation, goodness no! Merely he tries to hold on to her arm longer than is required. Are you ready?"

Before I could even say 'yes' she had me through the door and into the hall to wait by the front doors.

"Something's missing, something's missing." Ella scurried about all in a dither trying to think about what I could possibly be missing before suddenly coming to a standstill right in front of me and almost shouting, "hat!"

I think I blinked, and then she was back in front of me, fixing a wide brimmed bonnet to my head.

"There. You look lovely Ara." Then she pushed me out of the door. I must have 'please feel free to push me out of doors' stamped across my forehead. Maybe it was my stature. Either way she was the second person to do as much and I strongly doubted that she would be the last.

Once my eyes had adjusted to the blinding sunlight, I picked out a beautifully ornate carriage pulled by magnificent horses bouncing through the gate. I had to give it to him, James Norrington certainly had style.

The doors opened behind me and out came Elizabeth. I felt a bit like a gremlin next to her. She not only dwarfed me but shone with that natural beauty that was enhanced by her blue dress. It made mine almost look dreary in comparison.

Poised in pure elegance she gave me a once over and nodded her approval. That was something at least. Even if no words had been exchanged, I'd made progress from being ignored entirely.

We watched as James – Captain Norrington as I should get into the habit of calling him – jumped down from the carriage and strode over to where we stood.

"Miss Swann, you look delightful today." I didn't get any acknowledgement, not that I expected any but maybe a little 'hello' might have been nice. I tried not to hold it against him; after all, manners were different in this time. I was a servant; in his mind he had no need to speak to me.

After he kissed the back of Elizabeth's hand in an incredibly dramatic gesture they wandered slowly to the carriage. I trailed along behind trying my best to look invisible. Not that I really needed to try.

Whilst Captain Norrington started to assist Elizabeth in climbing into the carriage, I made for the front so that I could ride with the driver like Ella had suggested.

"Miss Fenn," Elizabeth spoke. I was so shocked that I was actually being addressed by her that I froze in my movements, my leg suspended in mid-air.

"I'm afraid that Father insists that as my chaperone you sit inside the carriage with us. I would not like to disappoint him." Without even waiting for my answer, she disappeared into the carriage. A disgruntled looking Captain Norrington followed her in. I had enough sense to recognise a thinly veiled command when I heard one and hastened to join them both. I scrambled in and the footman closed the door behind me.

Settling down, I pointedly looked out of the window and not at the couple sat opposite me. As we set off I began to wonder if the Governor had actually insisted on me riding inside the carriage with them or if Elizabeth felt more comfortable this way and just didn't what her suitor to know. I filed it away to question Ella about it when we returned.

Awkward. That's the only word that I could think of to sum up the journey. I felt awkward intruding on their space, Captain Norrington no doubt felt awkward having a servant chaperone ride in his carriage and Elizabeth seemed to be the only one at ease. Her pursed lips suggested that she too felt the awkward atmosphere pressing on her despite her pleasant exterior.

Nobody tried to speak and that made it even worse. In all fairness, that wasn't my fault and as badly as I wanted to, I couldn't do anything about it. As a maidservant I was only supposed to speak when spoken too. I was just happy that there was a nice draft coming through the carriage that helped to cool me down. Captain Norrington however appeared far too nervous to say anything. This – courting in general, not just the carriage ride – seemed to be very out of his comfort zone. I had no doubts that once he was on a ship and in command he'd be like a whole other person, just like in his film portrayal.

Eventually we reached the centre of Port Royal. Captain Norrington helped Elizabeth out of the carriage and left me too stumble down on my own. Climbing out of a carriage in stays was not easy at all and I nearly tripped over my skirts. Luckily the driver had taken one look at Captain Norrington and Elizabeth strolling leisurely towards the market and remembered that I was also in the carriage. Taking pity on me he wordlessly helped me down the rest of the way before tipping his hat to me.

Scrambling after them I tried to focus on where I stepped rather than the horrid fish smell that permeated the air. That was the downside of living next to the sea I guess. It warned me to never move to a place like this no matter how pretty it may look.

The more we wandered around the stalls, the more amused I became. Watching Elizabeth and Captain Norrington interact was very entertaining. He'd try to speak or say something completely inane and she'd try and reply with as little as possible. He gave a monologue about the good weather they were fortunate to be experiencing – it went on for ten minutes, I was so bored by the end of it – and she replied with an "oh yes, quite fortunate," and a demure smile. Captain Norrington wasn't very astute.

"Miss Fenn, is that you?" Turning to look at who had addressed me, I couldn't help but smile even wider. My day just became even more entertaining.

William Turner. From the corner of my eye I noticed Elizabeth had turned to face Will and was completely ignoring Captain Norrington prattle on about the battlements.

"Hello again, Mr Turner," I said.

"What brings you to the market?" He spoke as if he didn't already know the answer. He may have been speaking to me but he only had eyes for Elizabeth. In fact, they both only had eyes for each other. It really was a wonder that Captain Norrington hadn't figured out that Elizabeth wasn't paying attention to him or her surroundings in the slightest.

"Acting chaperone, but then, you already knew that didn't you?" Smirking I awaited his answer. He baulked a little at the suggestion before looking at me resignedly.

"Am I really that obvious, Miss Fenn?"

"Yes." I wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"I know it's silly to think that she could ever like a man like me but…" Will trailed off. Poor guy, at least he gets her in the end. He won't have to wallow in that sadness about his unfortunate station in life for much longer, although he's in for a rollercoaster ride of emotion in the coming weeks.

"I don't think it's silly, Mr Turner. Not one bit. I think she's rather fond of you as well," I said in the hopes to lighten his heart a little.

He looked at me shocked, "You think so?"

"I know so."

Will smiled at my gratefully before tipping his hat and stating that he should be getting back to work. I offered a wave and turned back to the couple I was chaperoning. Oh boy. If looks could kill I'd be six feet under by now. Elizabeth was not happy that I had spoken to Will. Unbelievably, Captain Norrington had moved on from the battlements talk and was droning on about his ship, the Dauntless, still completely unaware of the whole exchange.

That was a good start in getting onto Elizabeth's good side…

"Miss Fenn, please can you assist me? I'm afraid these parcels are dreadfully tiresome to carry." With a sigh, I wandered closer and took the two proffered small parcels from her. They weren't heavy but she wanted to punish me and this was the only available way without being too obvious.

"I could have done that Miss Swann, please, allow me," Captain Norrington jumped at the chance to assist his lady in distress.

"No no, that's quite alright. I'm sure Miss Fenn can manage," Elizabeth replied in a smug tone. I merely smiled at her to show that her plan to upset me and make me feel somewhat inferior to her hadn't worked.

The more we wandered around the market the hotter it became. The hotter it became the worse the rotten fish smell started to get. I was debating whether or not to walk round holding a handkerchief over my nose and mouth when the opportunity to go home suddenly presented itself. I knew Elizabeth was ready to return but she was too polite to say as much to Captain Norrington.

We had approached a little jewellery stall and the man behind was trying all the sales tactics in the book to entice Captain Norrington into buying some of his wares for his 'pretty lady'. Of course, Captain Norrington wasn't having any of it until he noticed Elizabeth eyeing a brooch laid out on the table. He bought it for her without even haggling with the vendor. What an idiot.

It was at that moment that he moved to attach it to the lapel on Elizabeth's dress. Seeing what was about to happen and knowing that Elizabeth would be even more mad with me because he'd come too close to her personal space, I intervened.

"Pardon me, I'm so sorry for the intrusion," I spoke causing him to jump a little in shock. He must have forgotten that I was here, what a confidence boost that was. On the plus side, he'd stopped what he was doing.

"Miss Elizabeth, I insist that we return to the manor. The hour is quite late and you must begin preparations for dinner," I said with a little smile. Elizabeth gave me a grateful look in return, relief evident in her eyes.

"Of course, thank you for reminding me, Miss Fenn. Captain Norrington, shall we?"

Elizabeth offered her arm to the Captain who took it, still in a state of shock, and they started meandering their way back towards the carriage with little me following behind.

"Are your maids usually so outspoken?" He questioned Elizabeth. I turned my seething gaze to the floor. That wasn't outspoken at all. He knew full well that I was within earshot of the conversation and yet he thought it prudent to ask anyway. Maybe he was hoping that Elizabeth would reprimand me and tell me to remember my place for interfering in their alone time.

"Quite the contrary, Captain. I asked Miss Fenn to keep me aware of the time. She was just doing her duty." Her firm tone caused my seething gaze turn to a smug look whilst the good Captain's turned to one of pure embarrassment. If I looked close enough I could see a little pink in his cheeks.

"I see," he said, trying to pull back his composure. "I don't know much about ladies fashion myself, but if it is necessary that we leave so soon for you to get dressed for dinner, I have no objections. I do know how you ladies like to look your best."

It would seem that our Captain Norrington liked to have the last word. This town was full of pompous people, although I suppose that it wouldn't be fair to call them that when this society is all that they've known.

The carriage ride back was another awkward event. Again, nobody spoke. We bounced around – unsurprisingly carriages were not a smooth ride – in silence until we caught sight of the Swann manor house at which point the Captain finally piped up.

"What a lovely outing it has been today, and with such lovely company," he spoke directly to Elizabeth, quite obviously pretending that I wasn't there.

"Yes, thank you." She replied, giving him a brief look before turning to look back out of the window.

"Might I…" he paused to clear his throat. He was nervous again and seemed to be debating with himself over something. He pulled himself together surprisingly quickly and tried again.

"Might I call on you again sometime?" It was quite a vague statement for someone who so obviously cared for her. Perhaps he wanted to play it cool and not act too keen? I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow somehow not quite believing that he hadn't asked to see her tomorrow. Although with it being Saturday he'd see her at Church tomorrow anyway. I didn't realise just how cunning he actually was when he wasn't bumbling around like a fool.

Elizabeth once again turned back to look at him, gave him that demure little smile and said "yes."

That was the end of the conversation and nothing more was said for the rest of the journey. Elizabeth and I simultaneously let out a breath of relief as we watched the carriage pull away through the gates with Captain Norrington safely inside.

"Miss Fenn, put the parcels in my parlour and Estrella and I will join you there shortly," Elizabeth spoke before striding through the door which Mr Ainsworth was holding open. He frowned a little at me scurrying through the main entrance. Mr Ainsworth was a firm believer in rules and order and I knew that I'd be having another lecture tonight about not using the servant's entrance around the corner instead. At least I had a good reason this time and not just that I forgot.

I placed Elizabeth's parcels on the open bureau and made to remove my bonnet. My hands were very unsteady from nerves. Why did she want to meet me in here with Ella? This wasn't the done thing from what Ella had told me. Oh goodness, what if I really had overstepped my boundaries by cutting the outing short? Was I going to be fired? I've never been fired before, not even in my own century!

Just before my nerves could send me into hyperventilation and intense over thinking, Elizabeth and Ella entered the room.

"Sit please, there's no need to stand on ceremony here. We won't be disturbed." Elizabeth spoke quite casually. I perched on the very edge of the chaise, back ramrod straight. Keeping my hands firmly pressed together in my lap, I watched her carefully looking for any signs of anger and disappointment.

Instead of those I found both Elizabeth and Ella were beaming at me as if I were a pot of gold they'd just found at the end of a rainbow. I was officially confused. Why on Earth were they looking at me like that? Racking my brains I tried to think of a reason. They weren't malicious in their smile so I could have sat in anything or have anything embarrassing smudged on my face. Drawing a blank I decided that I'd get nowhere trying to figure it out on my own.

"Ok, why are you smiling at me like that?" I asked wearily. It probably wasn't the best way I could have phrased it either. It definitely wasn't a way to talk to your employer, that's for sure.

"You were brilliant, Arabella!" Elizabeth said with such enthusiasm that all I could do was blink in response. Where was the woman who gave me snooty looks and refused to even speak to me?

"Lizzy told me all about how you saved her from suffering through another hour with Captain Norrington! I'm impressed Ara," Ella added. Seeing that they were being truthful in their joy I finally let myself relax.

"Oh boy am I relieved! I thought that you were going to reprimand me for overstepping my boundaries," I uttered in evident relief. This was definitely an unanticipated development.

Elizabeth fixed me with a curious look while she came to sit next to me.

"Why would I do that?" She inquired, genuinely puzzled.

Once again I was squirming uncomfortably in my seat. I was really hoping that she wouldn't ask that question. I still felt odd speaking to her in such a casual manner like Ella did when not even an hour ago our relationship was strictly employer and maidservant. Ella came to my rescue.

"She was worried that you didn't like her, Lizzy." More like throwing me under the bus than rescuing me. Surely Ella could have worded it a bit more tactfully. Elizabeth looked unsurprised.

"Well, I suppose it would have come across that way, but I had to judge for myself if you were as great as Estrella tells me. She's always talked well of you ever since you arrived. Forgive me?" She smiled at me hopefully. This was going better than I could ever have imagined.

"Of course I do, Miss."

"Elizabeth or Lizzy, please. Nobody is around to hear right now."

I smiled back at her, "Lizzy." I tested out her name.

Satisfied that I wasn't holding a grudge against her suspicions, she told to Ella. "You couldn't have done better yourself, Estrella. She even had him jump in the air when she suggested we leave. The fool had completely forgotten that she was there. Oh, and did I tell you? Will was at the market!" The woman was so excited in telling her tale that it all came out in a rush. I struggled to understand half of what she said.

"No! That should have been the first thing that you told me, did you speak to him? Gosh, fancy that, William Turner. It seems like just yesterday when you told me about his rescue on the crossing."

"No I didn't speak to him, but Arabella did." She fixed an accusing gaze on me. "What did you talk about anyway? How do you know each other?"

I refused to let her intimidate me. I'd figured that it wouldn't be too long before her jealously reared its head once she remembered.

"He helped me to find the inn to meet Mr Ainsworth on my first day here. All we spoke about was how I was settling in and that I was very lucky to be working for such a wonderful woman as yourself." I lied.

Satisfied with my answer she turned back to chat with Estrella. We spent well over an hour just sitting and chatting. I felt like I was back home having a natter with my friends. Sometimes all I needed was a bit of quality girl time like this, it was nice. I also used the time to observe Lizzy. It was quite bizarre seeing her so carefree and relaxed, the same with Ella. It made me realised just how restrictive the times were. If the pair of them had been born in my century they could openly celebrate their friendship and not steal small moments like this.

Eventually talk turned to Captain Norrington's upcoming promotion ceremony. He was to be made Commodore, and on the same day I'd maybe meet Captain Jack Sparrow. Not that Lizzy and Ella knew that.

Lizzy informed us that the Captain had personally invited her to attend regardless of the fact that her father's station in life meant that they would be there anyway. I suppose the thought was there.

Lizzy however had no idea why he would do such a thing because surely he should have known that she'd be there. I knew, and peering at Ella, I guessed that she too had an inkling as to what might happen after but neither of us said anything. I didn't want to be the one responsible for changing history if it supposedly happens exactly how I know it from the films. Who knew what kind of adverse effect that could have on the future.

Leaving Lizzy and Ella to their musings, I turned my thoughts inwards once again.

I still couldn't believe just how lucky I'd been so far. I'd managed to befriend Elizabeth Swann, thus making my job that little bit easier. I'd found a very valuable friend in Ella whom I was going to miss dearly once I left this time, and I hadn't sustained any serious injuries other than a minor sunburn. I hoped that the luck would last, I really didn't fancy finding out if I could be seriously injured here. I had no idea how I'd explain that one to Amy when I returned. Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony was happening in two weeks' time, and from then it was full steam ahead trying to get information from Captain Sparrow. I could only hope that when the time came, I'd be ready.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hey! A day late on the update, sorry everyone! First week back at uni was incredibly full on, so I can only apologise. I don't own anything except my character etc. Once again, this is unedited. Please feel free to point out any mistakes. Until next time x**_


	6. An Uneventful Beginning

"Ara…"

A voice started to rouse me back into the land of consciousness.

"Ara…"

I turned onto my side and pulled the sheets over my head in the hopes that they'd leave me alone. I didn't want to wake up so soon.

"Arabella Dorothea Fenn! Wake up!" Ella all but shouted at me.

Oh dear, she used my full name, that didn't bode well. I must have overslept more than I thought. Sheepishly, I pulled the sheets down and peeked at her.

Ella was standing there, hands on her hips, giving me a very stern look. Quirking an eyebrow she spoke in a chilling tone. "Are you going to get up or do I need to pour water over you again?"

I immediately shot up and scurried out of my bed, tripping over my sheets in the process. I had no desire to repeat what had happened the last time I'd decided to sleep in. The memory of freezing water coating me from head to toe was enough to send a shiver down my spine.

Ella snorted at how fast I moved before tossing me a hair brush so that I could start to tame the ginger mess. Since arriving in the Caribbean the humidity had made my hair almost unbearable, in particular my bed hair – it was shocking.

"You have fifteen minutes to get ready. I'll meet you in the kitchen. Cook will probably have something waiting for you." With that she swept out of the room. Someone definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I wondered what had gotten into her to make her so mardy.

Trying to get ready in the small time frame was a struggle, but I made it down to the kitchen with a minute to spare. Just like Ella had predicted, Cook had some food waiting for me.

"One day, your chronic lateness is going to get you in trouble, girl." She said with a shake of her head as she placed a plate of bread and two boiled eggs in front of me.

"Ah, Cook. You should know me better than that, I'm too sneaky to get found out," I replied with a cheeky smile before tucking in to the small meal.

"How'd you think Lizzy's going to react?" Ella piped up.

"Hmm?" I responded around a mouthful of bread.

"Don't give me that, you know exactly what I'm talking about! It's Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony today, he's bound to propose. Why else would the Governor buy her a fancy new dress all the way from London just for the occasion?" She sassed.

I shrugged as if I didn't have a clue, even though I knew with complete certainty that Norrington was going to propose.

Today was finally the day, the day that I had been waiting for. I was going to meet Captain Jack Sparrow and my mission would begin. I wasn't too sure on how to feel about that. I'd become comfortable in the monotonous way of life here, and being friends with Lizzy and Ella was great. If I wasn't so desperate to get home, I think I would have been quite happy here, despite the lack of plumbing and my delicious Yorkshire Tea.

Last night Governor Swann had requested the presence of both me and Ella. We had reported to his study and stood in growing apprehension. A meeting with the big boss himself was usually never a good thing in the life of a servant. However, he'd merely called us to make sure that we were up extra early in the morning to assist Elizabeth with her new dress as she had to "look her very best for an extremely important day". Even though he'd not outright said that Norrington was going to propose, Estrella was smart enough to put two and two together.

"She'll say yes, the silly girl," Ella sighed whilst she picked at her food.

"How'd you know that?" I inquired whilst trying to shove my bonnet back into place. No matter how many times I tried, I still couldn't get the stupid thing clipped into place right. Cook wordlessly came behind me and started fastening it in place whilst tutting. She kept me right that woman, always looking out for me. I was going to miss her and her motherly ways.

"I know because I know Lizzy. A good marriage of high standing is expected of her. She's a Governor's daughter. She'll feel like it's her duty." Every word of her last sentence was punctuated with a sharp crack on her poor boiled eggs with her spoon. Little shards of shell flew everywhere.

"Ella," I started cautiously. "Why are you so upset? Surely Lizzy marrying well is a good thing right? She'll never want for anything."

"You don't get it. I want her to be happy. I want her to marry for love. Captain Norrington can't give her that. Not to mention, it'll be even more difficult to see her afterwards." Ella sighed once again, but this time with more force.

Contrary to her belief, I understood exactly where Estrella was coming from. She just wanted the best for Elizabeth and to see her happy before she left for her new life with Ralph. She didn't want to see her trapped in a loveless marriage. She cared for her best friend.

"I get it," I said placating tone. "I don't want to see that either and I told you, we'll figure out a way to stay in contact. I'm sneaky remember, I can put those skills to use."

That got Estrella smiling finally, even though it was tinged with sadness.

"Girls, what are you still doing fussing over your food? You have a job to do!" Mr Ainsworth hurried into the kitchen all in a dither, trying to balance a huge elaborately wrapped box. I didn't need to try and guess what was in it; I had no doubt that it was Elizabeth's new dress.

"Sorry Mr Ainsworth," we chorused, giving each other a look as if to say, 'can you believe him?'

"Hurry along now, Governor Swann will nearly be finished getting ready. You simply cannot turn up after him, that'd be an insult!" Mr Ainsworth's voice rose to a high tone when he was stressed and today was no exception. Grimacing I rose hoping to avoid being the one carrying the large dress box. Unfortunately being the first to rise from the table was a mistake.

"Right you are, Miss Fenn. It is quite heavy. Try not to fall, my dear, we wouldn't want to ruin the dress." He unceremoniously dumped the heavy box into my arms. I rolled my eyes behind it where Mr Ainsworth couldn't see. Of course he'd be more worried about the expensive dress than any bodily harm that should happen to me. I suppose I was expendable after all, unlike the dress which was probably one of a kind.

Good grief, for a dress, this thing was incredibly weighty. I had a new appreciation for those Gypsy wedding dresses. Why they put themselves through the pain of wearing such heavy garments was beyond me but they were certainly brave for doing so.

I threw a look over my shoulder to see if Ella was following me. Instead I caught a look of Cook admonishing Mr Ainsworth for making such a 'delicate girl' like myself 'carry something so heavy'. I was happy for the fight she was putting up in my corner but I wasn't a delicate girl, I could handle carrying a dress.

Ella and I exchanged shocked expressions. If anybody else were to even think of doing such a thing we could kiss our jobs goodbye. The fact that he was looking at her with pink cheeks and actually apologising to Cook was very interesting, not to mention surprising.

Filing it away to deal with later, I followed Ella up the stairs as fast as I could without seeing my feet. Not really one of Mr Ainsworth's better ideas, giving me the box to carry. I was as clumsy as could be.

I managed to make it outside Elizabeth's bedroom accident free. Shuffling sounds were coming from inside her room, indicating to us that she was awake. We wouldn't be able to go in though to check that she was ok until the Governor arrived. It would be deemed as going against a direct order. Racking my brain, I tried to remember just what it was that Elizabeth had been doing. If Tia Dalma was right, then the movie timeline should have begun today. The events that I was so familiar with would have been set into motion.

"Excellent, you're here. Shall we?" The Governor spoke to us as he strolled along the landing, the curls of his grey powdered wig moving stiffly against his shoulders. He rapped on the door, and stood back awaiting Elizabeth's reply. When he didn't get one, he tried again.

"Elizabeth? Are you alright? Are you decent?" He spoke with a little concern. I hoped she'd hurry up; my arms were beginning to ache terribly with the strain of holding the cumbersome box in front of me.

"Yes, yes!" Came her rushed reply. The Governor wasted no time in flinging the door open, and Ella and I trailed in after him. Elizabeth was stood awkwardly in the middle of her room in her robe and nightgown.

Ella moved to fling open the curtains and the balcony door, whilst I stood respectfully a step behind the Governor trying not to show just how much the dress box was hurting my arms. We all blinked in the sudden sunlight that paraded around the room.

"Still abed at this hour?" The Governor questioned knowing full well that it was still early. "It's a beautiful day," he murmured, trying to keep the pretence of small talk going. When he received nothing but a smile from Lizzy, he got straight down to business. Well, in his round-about way so common with politicians.

"I have a gift for you." Everybody's eyes swivelled to the large box I was carrying as if they'd only just noticed it for the first time. They really needed to hurry this along. I was beginning to lose feeling in my hands.

The Governor removed the lid of the box and I had to stifle a gasp at the sight of the dress. It really was beautiful. A large floral pattern decorated the gold material. Beads shone in the light giving the dress a magical quality. It's a shame that such a lovely dress was going to end up at the bottom of the ocean.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Lizzy exclaimed as she removed it from the box. I quietly sighed in relief at the loss of weight from my arms.

"Isn't it?" The Governor couldn't help a smug smile in satisfaction. He knew he'd done well, the crafty man. He was a typical politician. They never change.

Estrella was still stood frozen on the other side of the Governor. We both knew better than to move without permission. Keeping my eyes focused on the far wall I tried to surreptitiously watch the interaction between father and daughter. I had a suspicion that Elizabeth knew that her father was up to something.

"May I inquire as to the occasion?" Lizzy paused to look back at the Governor with a smirk on her face as she walked towards the large dressing screen.

"Does a father need an occasion to dote upon his daughter?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Luckily, as I was a step behind the Governor he couldn't see my act of insubordination. Even though I knew the man loved his daughter dearly, he still wasn't the type to send for something to be specially made all the way in London and shipped over for just a regular day. No, that kind of expense would be spent on special occasions, like today and I could tell that Elizabeth knew that.

Seeing that Estrella and I weren't moving – I barely had any feeling left in my arms from that damned box – the Governor dismissed us with a prompt, "go on."

I all but threw the box onto the floor before rushing to join Estrella and Elizabeth behind the dressing screen.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the both of us, indicating that she knew her father was withholding information from her. She pulled off her robe and threw it on top of the screen in an act of defiance. Estrella and I took a small step back and averted our eyes as she removed her nightgown on her own. Anything that Lizzy felt she could manage without assistance she preferred to do herself. When she did need assistance it was usually Estrella that she called on. My friendship with the high class woman was a bit hit and miss – I suspected it was from jealously of my easy friendship with Estrella. Elizabeth was quite a fickle woman.

"Actually," the Governor carried on. I peeked a quick look at him from behind the dressing screen. His voice fell a little quieter as he turned and walked towards the window. I guessed it was his way of giving his daughter a little extra privacy. "I had hoped you might wear it to the ceremony today."

I held up the undershirt for Elizabeth to take whilst wincing at Ella. Governor Swann wasn't exactly known for his subtlety. Unfortunately for him, his daughter was a smart woman and caught on to his meaning straight away. She fixed both Estrella and I with a stern look for not mentioning this ambush earlier.

"The ceremony?" She played along, not that the Governor knew that Elizabeth was well aware of what he was referring to.

"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony," he carried on.

Elizabeth shoved me out of the way, none too gently. The woman was deceptively strong! She popped her head around the screen to stare at her father so fast that it startled Ella. She had just been getting started on the laces of the stays.

"I knew it!" Lizzy spat accusingly at the Governor before standing straight and letting Ella continue. Ella motioned to me to stand in front of Elizabeth and to hold the stays in place. Unluckily this put me in direct sight of a very frustrated and annoyed Elizabeth. It wasn't exactly an ideal place to be.

The Governor, completely oblivious to the torture we were inflicting on his daughter carried on in a merry tone.

"Commodore Norrington, as he's about to become."

Ella tightened the laces especially tight cause Elizabeth to gasp and glare daggers at me. Even though I'd been on the receiving end of her death glare many times it still manage to send a little shiver down my spine. I dread to think what her proper bad side looked like.

With the way that Ella was pulling at the laces, I was more involved with keeping Elizabeth stood upright than I was with holding the stays in place. All the way, she was still glaring at me as if this was all my fault. Not one ounce of gratefulness at my efforts in keeping her stood was evident in her expression.

"A fine gentleman, don't you think?" That man was about as subtle as a ten storey building. "He fancies you, you know," he carried on.

An especially brutal tug from Ella had Elizabeth gasping loudly once again. She would have fallen over if it wasn't for my tight grip on her waist. Luckily for me her death stare was instantly turned on Ella who offered her a sheepish smile in return. Finally, I was seeing some justice in the glare being directed at the guilty party. Ella mouthed a quick "sorry".

"Elizabeth?" Came the Governor's concerned voice. It appeared that he had finally started to pay attention to the pained sounds coming from his daughter. "How's it coming?"

"It's difficult to say," Elizabeth gasped out while looking at the stays as if willing them to loosen.

"I'm told it's the latest fashion in London." Sure, because that was going to make her feel better… If fashionable women in London are wearing this torture garment then it must be ok.

"Well women in London must have learnt not to breathe," each word was accentuated with a sharp tug on the laces by Ella which culminated in Elizabeth pressing a hand to her chest in shock at how tight it was. I shared a look with Ella over Elizabeth's shoulder. We couldn't believe just how snarky Elizabeth's comment was to her father. She never usually used that tone with him, it was mainly reserved for me. It felt quite nice not to be on the receiving end for once.

I'm not sure what she hoped to achieve by pressing her chest, surely that would only hinder her breathing even more? Either way, she kept it firmly pressing down. I was beginning to get a bit worried about her, she'd gone paler than normal.

"My Lord, you have a visitor," Mr Ainsworth strolled in completely unaware of the emotional and physical turmoil taking place. A visitor meant that Will had arrived to show off his sword. I hid a smile as I remembered that he'd soon be breaking one of the sconces from the wall and stashing it in an umbrella stand.

As soon as the Governor had left with Mr Ainsworth we collectively sighed a breath of relief. That seemed to be happening a lot today. It had already been stressful enough and the day was only just beginning.

"Are you trying to suffocate me, Ella? Good grief, loosen it at once!" Elizabeth bit out. For her to be that short with Estrella, the poor woman really must have been suffering in those stays.

"I'm sorry Lizzy but if I make them loose the dress just won't fit," Ella gave her a despairing look.

"There must be something that you can do?" Elizabeth implored. I came to the realisation that I couldn't do anything to help her. She had to faint at the top of the battlements. I thought when I'd watched the film that it was just from the intense heat, but I was beginning to think that perhaps the dress had more to do with it than I realised.

"Um," I eloquently began. "I'm not sure what help it'll be but there's a fan to go with the dress, I saw it in the box."

"A fan is not going to help." She snapped at me. Ella fixed her with a pointed look that screamed 'be nice, she's only trying to help'.

"Sorry," Elizabeth muttered to me. It was the best apology that I was going to get.

"If there's really nothing else that you can do, just help me finish getting ready. The sooner that I get there, the sooner I can come home and get this blasted thing off." Such 'unladylike' language from Elizabeth was a common occurrence when she was angry.

Ella and I both hastened to help her get ready. I set out everything that we'd need to fix her hair into an elaborate up-do and to fix her hat into place whilst Ella helped with the multitude of fabric that Elizabeth was required to wear. It was ironic that I should be the one to do her hair considering that I was hopeless at fixing my own.

Within a half hour, the job was completed. I'd fixed Elizabeth's white hat on top of her head and gently knocked her hands away every time she tried to touch it, which was often. She still lacked faith in my abilities.

I gathered up the discarded dress box and left the room after wishing Elizabeth a good day. She still looked as though she was struggling to breathe. I felt bad for her.

Walking into the kitchen, Cook immediately started fussing over me. She took the large box from my small arms and directed me into a chair.

"You look like you need a day off," she said in a sympathetic tone. Cook bustled around the kitchen fixing up a pot of tea for me. I had to admit, it was a relief to be off my feet for a little while.

"Today is my day off…well, until Miss Elizabeth returns," I spoke around a yawn. For the past week or so I'd gone back to my insomniac tendencies. I'd been averaging around five hours or less sleep on a night. Worries of what was to come had started plaguing me. The sunburn from my first day in Port Royal had made me realise that everything here was very real. Before I'd been walking around in a dreamlike state thinking that I was untouchable, but I wasn't. Death was a very real possibility.

I wasn't so much worried for myself; I was more worried for others. I kept biting at my lip and nails with an increasing frequency as the 'what if's' swirled around my head. Questions like 'what if Elizabeth doesn't make it out of the ocean alive today?', 'What if she doesn't faint in the first place and Captain Jack Sparrow isn't found?'

There were just too many variables. Too many things could go wrong. I didn't trust Tia Dalma's assertion that this world would play out exactly like the movie timeline. If that was case surely my being here has affected that already, and then everything would change.

My worrying was interrupted by Cook placing a cup of freshly brewed tea in front of me. Bless her, she knew just what I needed and when. How was I ever going to cope without her?

"Why don't you go for a walk? See if you can get a glimpse of them all up there celebrating in their finest?" She suggested. I had to admit, I was curious. Not about the fancy rich folk and their elaborate clothes, no. I was curious to see if Captain Jack Sparrow would show up. I wanted to see what he looked like, what he behaved like; I wanted to see the man whom I would be using for information. The more that I thought about it, the more it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"You know what Cook? I think I will. It's not like I have anything to do for the next couple of hours. Are you sure nobody will miss me?" I gave her a cheeky smile. She just patted me on the head, the same way one would for a cute dog. I wrinkled my nose in protest.

"We'll be glad of the peace and quiet," she sassed back before unpinning my maid's bonnet.

Cook moved to put it on the side where I wouldn't lose it and it wouldn't be in her way, and picked up my large straw hat. I let her tie it underneath my chin after which I gulped down my tea. My patience was running out. I was in a rush to get to the docks now that I had a purpose. I wanted to be off. My curiosity was really getting the better of me.

Giving Cook a grateful kiss on the cheek for her mothering affections and for the tea, I bounded out of the servants door and started skipping down the driveway. This was it, I was finally going to meet Captain Jack Sparrow.

* * *

A/N: Shorter than usual but it felt like a natural stopping point. Again, unedited so let me know of any mistakes! Thank you for reading x


	7. An Outstanding Getaway

The skipping didn't last any further than the main gate. I was out of breath at the intensity of the exercise combined with the searing heat. It was the hottest day of the year so far, and that was saying something. Even though I'd been in the Caribbean for almost a month, I still wasn't used to it. Something told me that I could stay here year round and wouldn't get used to it. I missed the cloudy rainy weather that frequented Britain.

After about half an hour I had finally reached the town of Port Royal. This time I didn't need somebody to help me find my way to the docks. For one thing, all I really had to do was follow the strong fish smell and I'd eventually find my way. For another, I'd been here so many times in the past couple of weeks – both with Estrella on our afternoon off and Elizabeth as her chaperone – that I was confident in knowing my way around the main roads.

The closer that I got to the docks, the more apprehensive I became. Weaving in and out of the people hustling around the streets wasn't a good enough distraction for me. This was going to be the first time that I saw Captain Jack Sparrow and I wasn't sure if the person was going to live up to the character that I knew from the film.

It also wasn't lost on me that this was a bizarre situation. It felt an awful lot like how I imagined it would feel to meet a celebrity from one of my favourite shows in real life – difficult to separate the character from the person. I supposed that at least this time the character and the person should be one in the same.

Finally I made it down to the beach closest to the docks, the sunlight bounced off the brilliant white sand almost glaringly. I willed my eyes to adjust quickly from being in the shadow of wooden houses. If I'd timed this wrong, I would miss Captain Sparrow making his way to the Inteceptor.

I slowly meandered my way down the beach heading towards the pier where the Inteceptor was floating at the end. I'd decided to collect shells along my way and hold them in my apron in case anybody started asking questions as to why a woman such as myself would be so close to the docks. The heat combined with a lack of breeze was almost stifling. My hand stung every time I touched the sand by accident. It was hard to be careful whilst trying to keep watch for somebody. Especially one where I had no idea what they looked like.

A good couple of minutes passed and I'd collected a few pretty shells when I finally noticed a man staggering – there was no other way to describe the walk, it looked as though the man was drunk – onto the pier for the Inteceptor.

Was this the man I was looking for? Could he be Captain Jack Sparrow?

I whirled around looking for anybody else in the vicinity but it was just me alone on the beach and the man staggering on the pier. He wore a brown tri-cone hat on top of his dark dreadlocks that ran down his back along-side a red bandana, a scabbard strapped to his side bounced with every step he took. Knee high boots moulded to his calves, and clacked on the wooden boards, while his dark coat flowed out behind him.

I decided to take the chance and follow the man. It was extremely likely that he was Captain Jack Sparrow but the only way to know for sure was to follow him and hope to get a glimpse of his right arm. If my suspicions were correct he'd have the pirate brand and the sparrow tattoo there.

Watching him walk down the pier whilst I bent down to dump the shells I'd collected I counted to thirty in my head. That's what the police always did in those drama's that I watched. They always left a short amount of time before tailing somebody. I wasn't taking any chances today, I didn't want to be caught out following a stranger. If he caught me now, I'd never manage to talk my way aboard the Inteceptor tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Oh God, that came around fast. Suddenly I wasn't feeling so happy about the prospect of meeting Captain Jack Sparrow. His arrival meant that everything was flung into motion. The Black Pearl would attack Port Royal tonight and I couldn't warn anybody. I wouldn't be able to change history and get away with it.

This was horrible. Elizabeth was going to be kidnapped tonight and I'd have to let her go, trusting that she wouldn't be harmed. People were going to get hurt and I couldn't do a damned thing about it.

Shaking the awful feelings of guilt and remorse away, I quickly leapt up from my crouch and as silently as I could followed Captain Sparrow.

Walking on my tiptoes so that my heels wouldn't make a noise was rather difficult, not to mention painful, so every time I came up to some barrels that were my height or taller, I ducked down behind them, just to give my feet a rest. I was actually amazed that I had managed to get more than half way along the pier behind Captain Sparrow without him realising.

Humming the Mission Impossible tune in my head helped to keep my anxieties at bay. I felt a lot like Tom Cruise but with a lot less action. If Amy could see me now she'd be shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Pursuing Captain Sparrow down the lower level of the pier – it split off into two, presumably for when a larger ship was docked there or for when the tide came in – I caught sight of a bunch of barrels that would be the perfect height for me to crouch behind.

Suddenly two guards in red uniform hurried out and ran in front of Captain Sparrow, blocking the entrance to the Inteceptor. I threw myself behind the barrels as silently as possible hoping that nobody had heard or seen me. That was very nearly a disaster.

Removing my hat, I placed it besides my crouched legs as I peered through a conveniently placed gap in the barrels. It was just large enough for me to see through without being caught. I was lucky that the barrels were so large; otherwise I'd have been screwed. Try as I might, I couldn't come up with a legitimate excuse for being on the dock so close to the Inteceptor. I could always have played up the dumb woman card but somehow I didn't think they'd fall for that one.

"This dock is off limits to civilians!" The smaller of the red coats almost sneered. They were an unlikely pair, one small and fair haired, the other large and dark haired with an unfortunate double chin that protruded over the collar of his clothes. I tried to think of their names, but kept coming up empty.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately." Captain Sparrow spoke in a not so apologetic tone. His voice was quite deep and smooth I realised as I tried to stifle a laugh at his audacity. Surely he didn't think that they'd fall for that?

Unluckily in my attempts to stifle my laughter a small snort came out. That shut me up immediately. Captain Sparrow whirled around trying to find the source – me. He looked directly at the barrels that I was hidden behind.

Not good. Not good.

I started to panic internally, trying with all my might to stay still. My heart was racing, what was I going to say? How could I talk my way out of spying on them? His lips twitched into a smirk before facing forwards again. He definitely saw me. What was I going to do?

Whilst I was freaking out on whether to jump out and run or just stay hidden, Captain Sparrow had tried to continue walking towards the Inteceptor. Once again, the guards halted his progress, all but slamming the butt of their guns on the floor.

He made to speak before I could come to a decision. He was going to alert the guards to my presence and use the opportunity as a distraction to get onto the ship. Mission over. Oh God, I was going to get arrested and then have my hands chopped off or something.

"Apparently there's some sort of high toned and fancy to-do up at the fort, eh?" What? My worry quickly changed into confusion. Why hadn't he given my position away? I was certain that he'd seen me trying to hide. I was the perfect distraction, so why didn't he use me? Was it too much to hope that he hadn't actually seen me? No, he had. So what was he up to?

The two red coats shared a look before the double chinned one gazed sadly at the Fort on my right.

"How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" He was sly, I had to give him that. Captain Jack knew what he was doing in complimenting them. Both soldiers puffed out their chests and stood even straighter. I suspected that they were trying to make themselves look important. It probably would've worked too if the slimmer guard hadn't been the one to speak. His voice was the least intimidating and weakest I'd ever heard.

"Someone has to make sure this dock stays off limits to civilians," he said. Clearly it was a line they'd been fed to make them feel important. Sadly, I think that they were well aware that they weren't important enough to go to the promotion ceremony and had been lumped with the bad job.

"It's a fine goal to be sure, but it seems to me that a ship like that…" Captain Sparrow paused as he tried to side step the guards. I watched in amusement as the guards matched him step by step. He must have been getting frustrated by now, so why hadn't he said anything about me? The Captain began to use exaggerated hand gestures towards the Dauntless floating further out in the bay. The guards weren't as stupid as they looked and didn't fall for the bait of looking.

"…makes this one here a bit superfluous really." He finally finished. That was quite a fancy word for a pirate. I was shocked that he'd know such language, but then maybe that was just my prejudice. What did I really know? He was practically the first proper pirate that I'd ever met, and I hadn't even met him yet.

"Oh, the Dauntless is the power in these waters true enough," said the slim soldier with a nod of his head for emphasis. He must have got that question – worded differently – a lot to have known which ship the Captain was referring too. "But there's no ship as can match the Inteceptor for speed," he finished with a smug grin. He was clearly proud of his knowledge. It was really bothering me that I couldn't remember their names. I was ashamed to call myself a fan of the film franchise. I should have been able to remember.

The soldiers words sent a niggle to the back of my head. There was something that I wasn't putting together here. Whatever it was, I'd try and figure it out later.

Captain Sparrow placed his fingers on his lips as though he were thinking before saying, "I've heard of one, supposed to be very fast. Nigh un-catchable," he paused for what seemed to me like dramatic effect. Everything about the guy screamed for dramatic effect. He really was an odd character and so far very similar to his movie persona. Why had I expected any different?

"The Black Pearl," Captain Sparrow finally finished in a mysterious tone. The double-chinned soldier – Mullroy, His name was Mullroy, took me long enough to remember I thought as I rolled my eyes at myself – barked out a laugh right in the Captains face. It was a proper wheezing laugh that made me worry a bit about his health.

"Well, there's no real ship as can match the Inteceptor," he finally wheezed out. His partner turned to him with a very shocked face.

"The Black Pearl is a real ship," he said as Mullroy was still laughing.

"No, no it's not." He replied.

Murtogg – took me long enough to remember his name too, I really was ashamed of myself – stayed focused on his no longer laughing partner and spoke deadly seriously. "Yes it is, I've seen it."

The smile on Mullroy's face was wiped instantly as he looked at his Murtogg stunned. A frown of disbelief marred his round face.

"You've seen it?" Mullroy questioned.

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it."

"Yes I have!"

"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out?" Bit dramatic, but not entirely wrong.

"No."

"No." Mullroy repeated, satisfied that he'd been proven right. The whole while, Captain Sparrow and I watched their exchanged incredulously.

"But I have seen a ship with black sails!"

Good grief, these two didn't know when to give up, although it was entertaining to witness. Captain Sparrow had decided that this was his opportune moment. The two red coats appeared as though they were going to argue over this until the end of the Earth. I watched between the barrels as he slipped away. How Mullroy hadn't seen him was a miracle, the Captain walked right past his eye line. How had he missed him? The compulsion to prove Murtogg wrong must have been very overpowering to have made such a simple – stupid – mistake.

"…therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl is what you're saying?"

I hadn't realised I'd tuned out their mindless banter as I was watching Captain Sparrow board the Inteceptor. To say he'd been so noisy walking down the pier he'd been extremely silent whilst sliding away from them. Sneaky. I was going to have to be careful around him.

My legs were starting to scream in protest at me. Crouching down for this long, though a pretty good leg workout, was not healthy for me in the slightest. If I managed to stretch out I'd be all stiff.

"No." Murtogg replied. What an idiot. They really need to wrap this idiotic conversation up. I was getting cranky with my cramped legs.

"Like I said, there's no real ship as can match the Inteceptor…" Mullroy trailed off as he finally realised that Captain Sparrow was no longer with them. It was about time. Though it was definitely funny listening to their banter, it had gone past the point of ridiculousness at how oblivious they both were.

They both looked around wildly trying to find the wandering Captain. Eventually they spotted him at the wheel of the Inteceptor, stroking it fondly.

"Hey! You!" Murtogg shouted. I jumped a little in shock, not prepared for such a loud, assertive voice to come out of the small man. They both took off running, Mullroy looking slightly winded behind, and jumped onto the ship. The Captain stayed where he was at the wheel, admiring or calculating, it was hard to tell from so far away.

"Get away from there!" Murtogg shouted. It was the last I heard from the three of them, they were just too far away and there was no wind to carry their words in my direction.

Making use of the freedom, I sat down and stretched my stiff legs out to dangle over the side of the pier. From where they were stood I'd have no chance and walking back down to the beach without them seeing me. I was stuck, so I might as well had make the most of it and try and relax in the shade.

Running after a stranger – and humming the Mission Impossible tune – may not have been my finest idea. I'd definitely got caught up in the excitement, and now I was paying the price. They'd said that the dock was off limits to civilians, and while not of this time, I most definitely looked like a civilian. Any sanctions put in place for people who got found here would apply to me and I didn't really fancy finding out what they were.

I peered back through the gap in the barrels to see that somehow Captain Sparrow had managed to stay on the Intecpetor. That man was very clever. How he'd managed it, I don't know, but he had Murtogg and Mullroy sat down in front of him and he appeared to be telling them a story judging by the intensity of his hand gestures.

Gazing back down at my wavering reflection in the ocean I tried to think. If Captain Sparrow really is that clever then my mission was bound to be even harder than I thought. Tia Dalma had implied that he could be charmed by a pretty woman, and while I was fairly confident in my appearance, I had no assurances that I'd be Captain Sparrow's type. Also, I didn't want to pimp myself out for information.

Even though I tried my hardest to assimilate myself into the eighteenth century I still felt that I stuck out like a sore thumb. I'd forget where I was and use some of the language and abbreviations of my time and Ella would call me out on it. So far I'd gotten away with blaming it on England – she wouldn't know if it were true or not because I'd been the most recent person that she knew of to come to Port Royal. There was only so long that that excuse would hold up though.

It wasn't even the language barrier that had been the main problem. I still wasn't used to the mannerisms and customs of the time. I'd been outraged that I'd had to use my money – Tia Dalma's money – to buy my own maid clothes. Ella was extremely confused about this behaviour – she let it slide but I sometimes wondered if it was still bothering her – because that had been the norm for every working woman she'd ever known. It was another excuse that I'd pinned on my home country.

I struggled practically every day not to get angry at what I saw as misogyny and slights against women. Feminism hadn't been invented yet and I had to keep reminding myself of that fact. Here woman had next to nothing. Even the ability to read was quite rare for a woman of my station.

A loud splash from behind me interrupted my thoughts. A faint shout of "Elizabeth!" accompanied it, sailing down from the top of the battlements.

Oh God, in all my worrying about being caught by Captain Sparrow, Mullroy and Murtogg, I'd completely forgotten about Elizabeth falling from such a height and in a dress that she struggled to breathe in! How could I have been so selfish? I didn't have any assurances that she'd survive other than this supposed knowledge that everything would be the same as I knew it to be, but I didn't trust that alone!

Another splash knocked me out of my guilt. I stood up, knocking my hat into the ocean by accident, not caring if anybody saw me now. I stared at the Inteceptor to see who had jumped in after Elizabeth. Murtogg and Mullroy both ran over to the edge of the ship and were peering down into the ocean. Captain Sparrow must have jumped in. A breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, I just knew – despite knowing the movie events – that he'd bring back Elizabeth safely.

A pulse underneath my feet made me stumble to the edge of the pier. I'd never been in an earthquake before but I'm sure that if I had that'd be what it felt like.

The medallion! That's what Elizabeth had been wearing under her dress. As soon as it touched the water it must have called to the Black Pearl.

Steadying myself against the barrels, I looked back frantically at the water. I couldn't just stand here, I needed to move and see for myself that Elizabeth was going to be ok.

Taking off at a run, I stumbled slightly over some of the uneven planks. When I looked up after one such stumble I felt the wind change. It became strong and blew in the direction of Port Royal. A thick fog was beginning to swirl around the Inteceptor and beyond, covering everything in its path. I made it to where Jack had just flopped onto the deck with Elizabeth, breathing harshly from running against the wind.

"She's not breathing!" Mullroy exclaimed, after taking her pulse. I was amazed that he'd even know to do such a thing.

"Her corset!" I gasped out. If she was still wearing it, it'd be too tight to breathe in. She'd struggled whilst conscious, there's no way that she'd manage unconscious.

Captain Sparrow shoved Mullroy out of the way with a stern, "move!" and cut open the stays that confined Elizabeth's chest and waist. He flung it at Murtogg who was stood just too the side of us.

Dropping to my knees, I pushed Elizabeth's sodden hair out of her face whilst she coughed up sea water and gasped her air. Her throat would be in so much pain, I had no doubt. Even though I couldn't have done anything to prevent this, I still felt guilty.

"Who're you?" Murtogg questioned me as Mullroy spoke to Captain Sparrow. I was ninety nine per cent positive that he was who I thought.

I stopped stroking Elizabeth's hair out of her face whilst I tried to formulate an answer, keeping my eyes on Captain Sparrow rather than facing Murtogg.

"I saw her fall," I finally settled on. I moved Elizabeth's head onto my lap after I'd kneeled down beside her. I was determined to comfort her in any way that I could, even if it was to assuage my own guilt. What a selfish person I was. In the distance I could hear the soldiers from the fort starting to run down the pier towards where we were crowded.

Captain Sparrow merely looked at me with guarded eyes. I couldn't tell what he was thinking at all and it bothered me. He glanced down, and did a double take. Reaching out, he took the medallion between his fingers. I watched his reaction carefully. He was shocked to see the gold of Cortés around the neck of a high class lady. It was only a second, before he concealed it behind guarded eyes once again.

"Where did you get that?" He questioned Elizabeth slowly. She made no move to answer, just looked at him warily, hoping that her secret hadn't been exposed.

Suddenly, a sharp sword glinted underneath Captain Sparrow's chin, pointed straight at his throat. Not close enough to cut, but close enough to be a threat. The sound of multiple swords being drawn was finally enough to draw my gaze away from Captain Jack. It sent a chill down my spine. This whole situation felt like it was quickly spiralling out of control.

Captain Sparrow merely looked down at the sword as if it were a slight inconvenience.

"On your feet," the newly promoted Commodore spoke lowly. I stayed where I was. I knew that he wasn't speaking to me and I didn't want to abandon Elizabeth on the floor.

Captain Sparrow rose slowly to his feet. Not once did he take his eyes of the sword. Even though he looked like it was an inconvenience, he evidently felt like it was a threat.

I tried lifting Elizabeth but she was so weak from almost drowning that I was unable to support her full weight. Luckily the Governor pushed his way through the guards that surrounded us worriedly shouting, "Elizabeth!"

When he saw us struggling to get up he immediately bounded down and helped. Once we got Elizabeth on her feet, he rubbed his hands up and down her arms, trying to get some warmth back into them.

"Are you alright?" He asked, worry for her his primary concern.

"Yes, I'm fine," she rasped back, with a flinch of pain. She didn't sound fine.

The Governor started to place a coat around her shoulders, so that she could stay decent whilst surrounded by men in just her soaked undershirt and so that she could stay warm. Even though he was placing the coat around Elizabeth's shoulders he was busy assessing Murtogg whom still held Elizabeth's wet stays. Seeing that the Governor was looking at him, he quickly realised what he was holding and dropped it as though it was burning him and pointed an accusing finger at Captain Sparrow.

I made use of the distraction and quickly tucked the medallion into Elizabeth's undershirt. A scandalised look morphed to one of gratefulness as soon as she had realised what I done. I chuckled a little, the thought that she might think I was feeling her up hadn't occurred to me. Oh well, at least my mind was innocent and free of indecent intent.

"Shoot him," the Governor's words sliced through my small moment of amusement. Now really wasn't the time to be laughing, I was in the middle of a very serious situation. These guns that were pointed at Captain Sparrow were very real and I had no desire to see anybody die.

Everybody here – the Commodore, the Governor and most likely the soldiers – had assessed the situation wrong. I was guessing that they'd seen Elizabeth's clothes removed, Captain Sparrow kneeling over her and had put two and two together and made five. If I hadn't had all the facts, I probably would have come to a similar conclusion but I maybe wouldn't have been so hasty in my judgement. Knowing that Elizabeth had nearly drowned and as the other only other person dripping sea water onto the deck the only reasonable conclusion to come to would be that Captain Sparrow had been the one to rescue her. Maybe it was another time difference thing. These people were so quick to place blame; then again, that's nothing new really. We still had a nasty habit of doing that. I guess we never learn.

Before I could pipe up with my unwanted opinion Elizabeth barged in. It was a good thing too; she would at least be afforded some respect in this matter considering she was the victim.

"Father!" She slapped him on the arm which finally made him look down at her incredulously. Once she felt that he was properly berated she turned her attentions to the man whom held deep affection for her.

"Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" All eyes flew back to Captain Sparrow.

The Commodore took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. It seemed like he was not in favour of upsetting the woman whom he'd just proposed to. He took the moment to decide whilst we all stood with bated breath. I'd gone back to surveying the Captain who looked ridiculously at ease with the whole situation.

Eventually the Commodore nodded resignedly – he was so under the thumb – to his soldiers and they all lowered their weapons. As they were doing so Jack clapped his hands together as though he were praying and mouthed and exaggerated 'thank you' to Elizabeth. I'd said it before and the more I watched him the more I realised that I was right; Captain Jack Sparrow had a flair for the dramatic.

Eventually the Governor's gaze finally made its way to me stood at the other side of Elizabeth. He did a double take when he realised who I was.

"Miss Fenn?" He questioned quite loudly in disbelief.

Busted. It wasn't my sanctioned afternoon off. I was bound to be in trouble now.

"Yes, Sir," I meekly responded and bobbed my head in his direction. I still hadn't taken my eyes of Captain Sparrow who was watching the interaction almost greedily. Mischief grew on his features as he learned my name.

The Governor didn't get the chance to question me further as Commodore Norrington piped up, extending his right hand for Captain Sparrow to shake.

"I believe thanks are in order."

Captain Sparrow hesitantly reached out with his right hand and grasped the Commodore's to shake before he was roughly pulled forward. With his left hand, Commodore Norrington pushed back the sleeve of Captain Sparrow's shirt just enough to reveal a pink 'P' branded on his forearm. Everyone around bristled. I could practically cut through the hatred that I felt being directed towards the Captain.

They all hated pirates, particularly at the moment whilst they're in what will be dubbed the 'golden age' of piracy.

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company did we, Pirate." Ouch, the scathing sarcasm was astonishing. The way the Commodore spat out 'pirate' hinted at some unresolved issues. I wondered at what his back story was, then I remembered that I didn't really care.

The Governor wasted no time once he saw the brand.

"Hang him," he demanded whilst still holding onto a now shivering Elizabeth. The temperature had dropped drastically since she'd fallen into the water. If I was starting to feel the cold and the biting wind, Elizabeth and Captain Sparrow must have been feeling it ten times worse through their soaking clothes.

The Captain turned towards the Governor, his mouth forming a little 'o' of surprise. What did he expect? Or was this just an act? Surely he knew the punishment for piracy.

"Keep your guns on him, men." The Commodore commanded whilst keeping a firm grip on Captain Sparrow's arm. "Gillette, fetch some irons." Not once did he look away from the Captain. I figured he thought that Sparrow would escape the moment he took his eyes off him whilst he wasn't handcuffed. I guessed that was what the Commodore meant by 'irons'. I had to stifle another laugh as the image of the Commodore wielding a red hot iron used for clothes and trying to fight the Captain with it.

Then I caught sight of Gillette practically prancing away down the pier in glee. Once again, I was unable to control myself and snorted quietly in laughter at the sight. For such a dangerous situation, I was finding way too much amusement and most likely causing more trouble for myself.

Captain Sparrow watched me from the corner of his eyes and I swear I saw his lip twitch in enjoyment. Yeah, he definitely saw me hidden behind those barrels. So why hasn't he said anything?

Our attention was diverted back to the Commodore once again – thankfully he and nobody else seemed to have heard my slip up – as he made to move Captain Sparrow's sleeve up even higher on his forearm.

This was it, the moment that I had been waiting for since I first saw him staggering on the pier. Finally I was going to get confirmation on his identity. The Captain knew my last name, but I'd know his full name. He had some catching up to do.

There, tattooed in fading black ink above his pirate brand was a sparrow in flight above the ocean with a large sun behind. It was a beautiful tattoo, and it definitely suited him. I raised my hand to my mouth to hide my huge smile. My gut instinct had been right again, she'd not failed me yet.

"Well well, Jack Sparrow isn't it?" The Commodore spat out as he threw Captain Sparrow's hand down as if it disgusted him, which it probably did. There were definitely some unresolved issues that I'm sure a psychiatrist would have loved to speak about. This guy obviously had a bad history with pirates. Poor Commodore Norrington, if only he knew that he's got a lot more to come.

Captain Sparrow took it in his stride remarkably well, although I could see that he was calculating a way out of the situation he now found himself in.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, Sir." Well, that was surprisingly well mannered, especially after the way he'd just been treated.

The Commodore looked around with a fake confused look on his face. "Well, I don't see your ship…Captain." Woah. The sarcasm was strong with this one.

Captain Sparrow was unappreciative of the sarcasm and it showed.

"I'm in the market, as it were."

Internally, I bet he was calling the Commodore every bad word he knew for belittling his station. Outwardly, he was the picture of serenity.

Murtogg chose this moment to make himself known. "He said he'd come to commandeer one."

Did Captain Sparrow really say that? What kind of idiot was he? He did seem like the type to brag though, although I imagine that he didn't count on it coming back to bite him in the backside.

Mullroy gave Murtogg a haughty look. "Told ya he was telling the truth."

I guessed that they'd had another of their disagreements while aboard the Inteceptor. I wished I could have heard that one, it must have been about something that Captain Sparrow had said again.

"These are his, Sir," Mullroy spoke as he picked up Captain Sparrow's effects that had been sat by his feet. He held them out in front of him in a similar way that I'd been holding the heavy dress box this morning. If he kept that up much longer his arms would be aching. I would know from very recent experience.

Commodore Norrington picked up the pistol that was on top, looked it over with disdain, tossed it to his other hand before proclaiming, "no additional shots nor powder." He placed it none too gently down on the pile Mullroy was holding.

Next for his inspection was Captain Sparrow's compass that he'd bartered from Tia Dalma. This was immediately dismissed by the Commodore as a dud as well. "A compass that doesn't point North," he pointed out with contempt edging into his tone. Once again, he dumped it back down onto the pile.

Captain Sparrow's sword was the next item to be inspected. The Commodore merely pulled it out a couple of inches and raised an eyebrow. I knew immediately that another scathing remark was about to be sent Captain Sparrow's way.

"And I half expected it to be made of wood." Bit harsh, but kind of fair from his wrong assessment of everything else. Captain Sparrow gave him a tight lipped fake smile while his eyes screamed 'I would take great delight in hurting you'. I couldn't really blame the guy for feeling like that.

The Commodore, a smug smirk settled on his lips, slammed the sword back into the scabbard making me wince at the sudden movement.

"You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of," he bit out.

Captain Sparrow responded in a way that I wasn't expecting. He raised two fingers and pointed at him as though he had something profound to say.

"Ah, but you have heard of me." Of course that'd be the thing he'd say. He's probably ecstatic that his reputation preceded him. It may have made him happy to say it, but it only served to anger Commodore Norrington even more. He grabbed the Captain roughly on the arm once again and dragged him over to where Gillette stood holding the handcuffs.

Elizabeth had obviously decided that she'd had enough with what she saw as an injustice. I was just curious as to how this would all pan out so I kept my mouth shut. Well, that and I didn't want to get into any more trouble that I already was. It was going to be difficult talking my way out of shirking my duties, never mind if I were to defend a pirate.

"Commodore, I really must protest." Elizabeth demanded as she shrugged off the coat – which I caught – and marched after the Commodore and Captain. I followed behind in case she wanted to put the coat back on. The chill would seep into her bones and she'd definitely fall ill if that happened.

We managed to catch up to them just as the Commodore pushed Captain Sparrow to Gillette who was happily waiting to fix the handcuffs around the pirate's wrists. Elizabeth stormed in between Commodore Norrington and Captain Sparrow. Someone pulled on the back of my dress holding me back from joining her. Whirling around I saw Murtogg keeping me from getting involved. He shook his head at me and was about to say something when Elizabeth spoke again.

"Pirate or not this man saved my life."

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness," the Commodore shot back. He was really riled up if he spoke to Elizabeth that way. Come to think of it, I'd never heard him speak to Elizabeth in that tone.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Captain Sparrow couldn't help but chime in whilst the handcuffs were being locked into place. I wasn't sure if Gillette was incompetent at using the handcuffs or if they were more difficult to use than the modern ones I'd seen on shows like Police Interceptors. Either way, it was taking him a surprisingly long time.

"Indeed." The Commodore seemed incapable of walking away without having the last word. I'd seen children act more mature than the adults whom surrounded me at that moment. Gillette moved away from Captain Sparrow, a big mistake on his part, and one that I'm sure he'll come to regret once he gets reprimanded.

"Finally," Captain Sparrow sighed before throwing the iron chain around Elizabeth's neck. I froze in place, watching him warily, in the same position as everybody else. The surrounding soldiers raised their guns at the surprise actions from the pirate.

"No! Don't shoot!" Governor Swann was understandably extremely worried for the welfare of his only daughter, and I'm sure that the sight of large guns being pointed in her general direction was not one that he would forget any time soon.

Captain Sparrow didn't take his eyes off the Commodore as he spoke smarmily. "I knew you'd warm up to me." His voice dropped the smarmy tone and suddenly became very serious. "Commodore Norrington, my effects please…and my hat!" Oh heaven forbid somebody forgot to give him his hat. His film version was very attached to his hat too. I couldn't help but wonder why as I took in the severe escalation of the situation.

Upon seeing no movement from the Commodore, combined with him growing nervous at how long it was taking, Captain Sparrow tightened the chain around Elizabeth's throat to emphasise his seriousness.

"Commodore!"

Norrington must have realised that he didn't have a better option and motioned for Mullroy to bring him Captain Sparrow's effects.

I think the only reason that I wasn't freaking out as much as everybody else was because I had the knowledge of what was about to happen. I had to believe in what I knew, and trust that it would come to pass. Elizabeth would be safe and Captain Jack Sparrow would escape miraculously – dramatically – before being found unconscious in Mr Brown's blacksmith workshop.

"Elizabeth. It is Elizabeth isn't it?" Captain Sparrow said into Elizabeth's ear. I was actually a little nervous for the Captain right now. She was incredibly irate and I knew full well that everybody should run for cover when that happened.

"It's Miss Swann." She spat out, anger very much prominent on her face and in her tone.

"Miss Swan, if you'd be so kind." Captain Sparrow murmured into her ear in the same way one would to a lover. The Commodore - face apologetic when looking at Elizabeth - handed over the effects to Elizabeth's outstretched arms. Subtly Murtogg moved me behind him. He was probably doing what he thought was the decent gentlemanly thing but it only made me annoyed. Now my view was limited, and I couldn't quite see what was happening.

I could see a hand – Sparrow's hand – reach for the pistol. "Come, come, dear. We don't have all day. Now if you'd be very kind…"

I cursed internally at how tall Murtogg was compared to me and for blocking my view. My desire to see Elizabeth take out her anger on Captain Sparrow was really strong at that moment in time.

A loud grunt of pain burst from Captain Sparrow's lips. "Easy on the goods, darling." I hid a smile again, she must have pulled his belt on extremely tight and Captain Sparrow saw the chance for an innuendo. If he'd been born in my time, I was sure that we'd get on like a house on fire. I wasn't so sure if we would here but only time would tell.

"You're despicable," I heard Elizabeth shoot back.

"Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you save mine, we're square." Good grief, this man was unbelievable! Every word that seemed to be coming out of his mouth sounded like its only purpose was to provoke.

There was a collective gasp and I peeked around Murtogg's shoulder to see what it was for. Captain Sparrow was walking slowly backwards pulling Elizabeth along with him, his pistol aimed at her temple.

"Gentlemen, m'ladies," he looked at me and bobbed his head. "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" I ran forward in anticipation of the Captain thrusting Elizabeth towards us as a distraction. We stumbled into each other before whirling around to see a guard fall through the pier into the ocean below. Hoping that the man could swim, I turned my attention back to the Captain's daring escape just as he was swinging around a beam above our heads.

The Commodore pulled Elizabeth away from me and into his chest, as Murtogg pulled me to his side in an attempt to keep me comforted and safe. Not that I needed it, but the body heat was nice. We all watched Captain Sparrow in shock.

"Now will you shoot him?" Governor Swann demanded exasperatedly. The soldiers all raised their guns.

"Open fire!" The Commodore shouted. Gun fire filled the air around me, sending a buzzing through my ears. With each bang, I pressed myself more closely to Murtogg, immediately feeling gratefully for the comfort. It was the first time I'd ever heard gun fire and paired with the knowledge that the aim of these guns was rarely accurate made it a very scary experience. One that I wasn't ready for.

I was fearing for Captain Sparrow's safety and hoped that every shot would miss him. He yelped in shock as he was still swinging around in a circle on the rope before he somehow managed to swing in the direction of a high beam. Landing none too gracefully, Captain Sparrow waved his arms around in an attempt to gain back his balance.

How he'd managed it, I had no idea, but he'd somehow made his way down the pier in the direction towards the beach. We were all behind him now instead of blocking his way.

Panicking, the Commodore shouted to his men, "On his heels!" before thrusting Elizabeth back towards me and Governor Swann. Murtogg let me go with a look of concern, tipped his hat and ran after the Commodore.

Between us, the Governor and I, we managed to keep Elizabeth on her feet. We watched in shock as the pirate wrapped the chain around a rope and zip lined out of view. The Commodore and his men ran down the pier in pursuit.

"Are you alright, Miss Swann?" I asked, conscious that her father was stood directly next to us. She gave me a grateful smile and pulled me into a hug.

"Yes, thank you Arabella. Thank you." She murmured not letting go. I stood there in shock, blinking over her shoulder at her father whose eyebrows had reached the hair line of his wig. Eventually I relaxed into the hug and placed my arms around her still wet waist.

It took me a little while to figure out just what she was thanking me for, but I got there. I was being thanked for hiding the medallion from the prying eyes of those who wouldn't approve and for being there for her during a very trying time. Although she was trying to act like she was tough and OK, nearly drowning had definitely caused her distress as it would any sane person.

"Any time Lizzy," I whispered back, starting to feel fear at what I knew was coming.

* * *

A/N: Phew, that was a long one! Hope it made up for the short chapter before. I really enjoyed writing this one, let me know what you think. I hope that I'm doing the film and the characters justice. As usual, unedited and I don't own anything except my character.


	8. An Unforeseen Occurrence

A/N: There might be a few things that people find disturbing towards the end of the chapter. There is mention of death but I tried not to make it too graphic. Proceed with caution, sorry if it makes anybody uncomfortable.

* * *

"Ahem." Governor Swann cleared his throat impatiently. He must have been very shocked and uncomfortable with Lizzy's display of affection for a servant like me.

Reluctantly Lizzy unwound her arms from around my shoulders and took a small step back. I had been taking as much comfort from the hug as she had, although both were for very different reasons. Lizzy wanted to ground herself to the here and now after such a traumatic event as almost drowning. I, however, was seeking comfort for my guilt and reassurance that everything would be ok after tonight's impending events.

Separated from her body heat, I was unable to supress a shiver as the cold seeped back into my now damp dress. Lizzy looked as though she was feeling the cold more acutely than before as well. She was going to catch hypothermia or something if we stayed out here much longer.

"Elizabeth, we really must return home and get you some warm clothes," the Governor finally spoke whilst wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her back down the pier towards the town. Still looking a little dazed, Lizzy allowed him to move her and stumbled along at his side.

I fell into step about two paces behind, remembering my station. Regardless of the fact that Lizzy had hugged and displayed some rather uncharacteristic affection for me, I was still her maidservant at the end of the day. Well, until my impending dismissal when we get back to the manor house.

Even though I knew that I was in trouble with the Governor already, I didn't want to have any more reasons to be on his bad side. My dismissal was going to be bad enough without having other short comings thrown back in my face.

I'd never been fired before. The thought of it happening outside of my own timeline as well wasn't comforting. At least if I'd been back home I'd know how to cope afterwards, but here I had no idea what I'd do. I'm sure that I read somewhere that almost as soon as someone was fired they were turned out with their meagre belongs there and then. I didn't want to be homeless for the night, especially not on a night like tonight.

The foresight and knowledge of the future was not a comforting thing to have. I was selfish for only thinking of my own safety but at the same time I was wrestling my guilt at just taking a step back and allowing all of the devastation to happen. If I jumped in headfirst and changed something, even just the tiniest thing, that could have adverse effects on my timeline. Something awful was just bound to happen and no doubt, I'd manage to wipe out my own existence. I envied Elizabeth and Governor Swann, they had no idea what was coming and only had to worry about what had just happened and if Captain Sparrow had been caught yet. They didn't hold such a large burden on their shoulders.

All that my guilt and worry really boiled down too was the fact that I didn't want to die. I was afraid . If being selfish and protecting myself was the only way to ensure that I made it home then that's what I was going to do. I could shoulder the burden myself for just a little while longer. Once the hellish night is finally finished with all I'd have left to deal with was my guilt.

As we reached the end of the pier I looked mournfully up at the houses that overlooked the beach. They weren't in the best condition having been exposed to the weather. They wouldn't last the night.

I tried not to look too closely in case I saw any families that lived there. Their homes were going to be destroyed tonight and yet they had no idea of the devastation that was about to befall on them. The homes that were lucky enough to avoid the canon fire from the Black Pearl wouldn't survive the any of the fires that broke out. I suppose that's the problem with using wood for building, did they not learn anything from the Great Fire of London in 1666?

My head was starting to hurt as I tried to keep the tears and my fears at bay. I couldn't hold it back for much longer though and decided that it'd probably be better to just confront the problem head on.

It was time to stop pretending that everything would be ok. Perhaps eventually it would be but in the immediate future it definitely wouldn't be. There would be fatalities tonight, I was sure. The knowledge that I was powerless to prevent these fatalities had really been messing me up, long before the shock from today.

I'd had trouble sleeping ever since I'd arrived in Port Royal. Every time I'd closed my eyes all I could picture were faceless people being killed in canon fire or ruthlessly murdered by pirates.

Once I'd started forming attachments the faceless dead morphed into those of my friends. Ella, eyes cold and lifeless staring up at me with contempt, was a regular occurrence in my dreams. They shook me up so bad that for the past week or so I'd been averaging at about four hours sleep. I was exhausted.

In hindsight, making friends wasn't the smartest thing I'd done and I somewhat regretted my actions. If I'd hadn't formed any attachments, my worry wouldn't be such a personal thing, I could have stayed my generalised and detached. I knew that I wouldn't have coped as well as I have here if I hadn't though. I thrived on a support system despite my less than supportive background.

The Governor's carriage was waiting with impatient horses just passed the first row of houses. Mr Duckworth, who had been tending to the horses needs, quickly moved to open the carriage door when he caught sight of our sad little party shuffling towards him.

Before the Governor could help assist Lizzy into the carriage she turned round to me and grabbed my hand.

"Please, you must ride inside with us, I insist."

"Elizabeth, I'm not sure that's entirely proper!" Governor Swann spluttered out in indignation. "It's one thing when being a chaperone but this occasion does not call for it." I made sure that I was out of sight of the Governor before rolling my eyes at Mr Duckworth. He tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile at my audacity.

"Father, Miss Fenn has also been through a trying day. I will feel more comforted if she were to join us." Without giving him a chance to reply, Elizabeth ascended the step into the carriage and started to make herself as comfortable as she could.

Once we were all settled – squished more like as Lizzy had insisted that we all sit on the same bench with her in the middle acting like a mediator – Mr Duckworth set the horses going in a steady pace and off we went.

Lizzy grabbed a hold of my hand the moment we set off and did the same with her father's. Although on the outside she was calm and collected, I suspected inside that she was still shaken.

Watching from the corner of my eye, the Governor wrapped the coat tighter around her shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder. The scene was very touching to witness. I chose not to comment on it, it wouldn't be appreciated from my employer.

Turning my gaze away from Elizabeth and her father, I looked outside hoping for a glimpse of the elusive Captain Sparrow. I knew I wouldn't see him, he should be in the middle of a sword fight with Will by now in the blacksmiths but a girl could hope. I didn't know what to make of him yet nevertheless he definitely had me intrigued. The occasional flash of red coated soldiers searching the streets for the pirate passed us by but they quickly vanished as we turned sharp corners.

As soon as the carriage passed the last house in the town the three of us sighed in relief. The Governor and Elizabeth, I guessed, sighed out of relief from being away from the pirate. I sighed at the absence of a slight weight pressing down on me. Seeing the houses and the people whom were about to have their lives turned upside down was beginning to get far too overwhelming for my liking.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. What was it with these carriages and an awkward atmosphere? I was sure that I was the cause of it. Thank God I didn't have this problem in the future.

None too soon we'd arrived back at the manor house. Predictably, once Mr Duckworth had opened the carriage door, Governor Swann helped Elizabeth out and left me too clamber out on my own. As he was ushering her into the house, Mr Duckworth ran out from behind the door before I could venture out of the carriage.

"We must stop meeting like this, Miss Fenn," he smiled cheekily with a tip of his hat. "Allow me to assist m'lady." Mr Duckworth swept me an elegant bow before taking my hand and helping me down. Although I wasn't as graceful as Elizabeth – she'd had much more practice at this than me – I managed to get down unscathed unlike if I'd attempted myself. I probably would've ended up face planting the floor.

Blushing – I couldn't help it, I had the attention of a rather attractive man who actually wanted to help me, what else was I supposed to do? - I pulled my hand out of his. Slapping him gently on the arm I murmured, "Oh stop it you old charmer. Thank you for the help Mr Duckworth," and bobbed him a little curtsey.

"John, please."

I paused before replying. It was something of a bit we'd started doing. I'd been Lizzy's chaperone quite a few times and each time John had been the one to help me in and out of the carriage. After the first few times he started staying for dinner with the rest of the servants. Cook was glad to have him, she found him easy on the eyes and rather adorable I think. We'd formed a fast friendship regardless of the fact that he didn't stay in the house, and I found his devotion to the horses rather endearing.

While the friendship was purely platonic on my side, on his I knew it definitely wasn't. Nothing would come of it though. He'd been trying to get me to call him John ever since he first stayed for dinner and I'd not once relented. Today however, I just wanted him to have a little bit of happiness to hold onto during the pirate raid. Besides, I'd never seen him again after tonight, so was it really that bad to get the man's hopes up?

"Alright," I relented, "Thank you, John." His jaw dropped open in shock.

Knowing that I had potentially sparked something by relenting and using his first name, I smiled coyly, picked up my skirts and headed for the servants entrance leaving him shocked behind me.

I hoped he'd stay safe tonight and that he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. He was a nice guy and he deserved to live a happy life with the person of his dreams. He'd soon learn that that person wasn't me and he'd move on.

Silently, I slipped through the door. Not once did I glance back at John, my resolve would have broken and I would have confessed all to him so that he'd leave Port Royal tonight. If I was this weak around John whom I was only just friends with, I knew that there was no way I could face Cook and Estrella without breaking down.

Just as I'd resolved to slip up to my room unnoticed, Cook came barrelling down the hall and pulled me into a smothering hug.

"My dear child, are you ok? Let me look at you!" She squeezed my face between her hands turning it left to right as she inspected me for injuries.

"The post boy told us all about the man hunt that was under way for the pirate. Said he'd threatened the Miss Swann on the docks and then escaped custody! You were down there weren't you, child? I'm so sorry, you must have been awfully frightened. Come, I'll make you tea and some supper."

Cook barely let me get a word in edgeways before dragging me down to the kitchen once she was satisfied that I wasn't physically harmed. I didn't even try to pull away, her grip was rock solid and I suspected I would've done some serious damage to my wrist and Cook's feelings. I was powerless, if I ran away now she'd be hurt. Deciding I could take some mothering without breaking down I wordlessly did as she instructed and made myself comfortable in the chair closest to the fire.

"Estrella is tending to the Miss Swann so you can just stay here and rest, my dear…here you are, drink up." She placed down a steaming mug of black tea on the table in front of me along with a plate of stew and a piece of bread. I smiled and nodded my head in thanks.

"You've lost your hat," she pointed out as I pulled the tea closer to me. Patting my uncovered hair, I remembered watching it drift out into the ocean. There was no way I'd be getting that one back. I was going to have to find another one for tomorrow. I couldn't spend all day on the top deck of the ship – if I even manage to talk my way onto it – without some form of sun protection. Without my trusty sun cream, the hat was the only thing I had to protect my face from turning into a tomato.

"Oh, yes. I did." I replied with stinted words. Despite thinking that I could cope with some mothering, I was still too close for tears for my own comfort. I wasn't coping very well. Guilt was still pressing on my chest.

 _Should I tell Cook everything? That the Black Pearl was heading towards Port Royal at this very moment? Should I tell her to hide and stay safe?_

I didn't even know where the safest place to hide would be. The pirates would be coming up to the manor house in a few short hours – the day's events had passed so quickly – so staying here definitely wasn't a safe option. Taking a guess, I'd say that the fort would be one of the safest places but even then, I knew that parts of it would be blasted by the Pearl's cannons.

Trying not to show just how conflicted I was, I started nibbling on some of the bread. Once I was a few bites in, I pushed the food and my untouched tea away. My stomach was churning way too much to keep any food and drink down.

The truth was bubbling up my throat, begging to come out. I opened and closed my mouth a few times trying to get the words out but they were stuck. Knowing that I could potentially change the timeline by telling Cook to leave Port Royal was just barely holding them back.

Not once have I ever praised Mr Ainsworth on his terrible timing but today I could have fallen at his feet with nothing but complimentary words and thanks. He burst through the kitchen door all in a dither startling poor Cook and saving me from making any timeline altering decisions.

"Miss Fenn, thank goodness I've found you at last! You must make haste. Governor Swann has requested your presence in his study at once!" His words left in such a breathless rush that I barely understood him. He kept gesturing wildly in a shooing motion towards the doorway he'd just barrelled through. I had no option but to comply. I knew what this was about. I'd been expecting it since the Governor questioned my being on the pier with Elizabeth when I should have been working.

"I'm coming, calm down Mr Ainsworth, you'll hurt yourself if you aren't careful," I managed to choke out in a somewhat sarcastic tone. It was the best that I could manage and a quick glance at Cook's face told me that the feeble attempt at a joke had fallen flat. My sarcastic failsafe was starting to make an appearance at my very turbulent day.

"Yes, well, don't you be speaking like that to the Governor, young lady!" Of course he had to have the last word. Deciding not to bite back for a change, I merely gave a small nod and breezed past him in as careless of a manner as I could muster. The breezing was probably more like marching to my impending doom – which it was – but at least I put in a little effort and neither of them seemed to notice.

Walking at a steady pace towards Governor Swann's main study, I heard Mr Ainsworth tutting and mumbling away behind me. Apparently I was going to slow for his liking and was displaying such insolent behaviour that the Governor was bound to disapprove of. Well, the joke's on him, after this meeting I'd no longer be the proverbial thorn in his side. He'd probably help me pack my bag in glee. No, that was mean. He really wasn't that bad, just cared too much about opinion of others and his job. I couldn't fault him for that.

The door was slightly ajar when we arrived but I still knocked and waiting to be told to enter. And wait we did. It was probably only about a minute but it felt like time had slowed down and we were stood there for at least five. I was getting really jittery. I knew that being fired wasn't going to be a pleasant experience but I didn't think that I'd be shaking with nerves before I even faced Governor Swann.

"Please come in Miss Fenn." Both Mr Ainsworth and I entered despite only one of us being granted permission.

Governor Swann was seated behind a large mahogany table writing something in a book. He didn't look up, just motioned with his free hand to the empty chair directly across from him. I gingerly sat on the edge of the chair with my hands folded in my lap to prevent their shaking and kept my eyes trained on them.

"You may leave us now Mr Ainsworth."

There was a pause as Mr Ainsworth wordlessly followed the Governor's request.

"Miss Fenn," I looked up. "Please, let me commend you for being a great support and comfort for my daughter today. Not many people would have done so in the face of a pirate. Thank you."

What? That was not how I pictured this talk going. Where was the brutal trashing of my character? Where was the horrifying account of how I dared to take liberties whilst in his employ? My face must have been the picture of shock as I stared at Governor Swann. He clearly picked up on my bewilderment as he started to explain himself.

"Elizabeth rather sternly requested that I be fair with your reprimand. You see, she would have me not fire you."

I sensed a 'but' coming. I was going to let go after all. Oh God, where was I going to stay for the night? What was I going to do?

The Governor stood up and strode over to the window, avoiding my bewildered and saddened gaze. A brilliant orange and red hue had started bouncing around the study giving a glow to everything it touched. The sun was setting. It was later than I thought. Another hour or so and the Black Pearl would arrive.

"The fact of the matter, Miss Fenn, is that you ignored your duties for nothing more than a leisurely stroll down the beach. I'm sure that's what it would have been if you had not been so unfortunate as to meet the pirate. That is not what I pay you for."

Lower and lower the sun went, rapidly descending on the horizon. I'd always loved sunsets since arriving in the Caribbean, they were beautiful. Today's filled me with nothing but dread and unbridled fear. With my attention diverted, the impact of what the Governor was saying to me was mercifully lessened.

He coughed to clear his throat, none to delicately. It looked like this was difficult for him to do. I was sure that he was a decent person underneath the grand exterior.

"You do understand Miss Fenn, that I simply cannot have someone who takes such liberties in my employment." The Governor finally turned his back to the increasingly darkening sky to face me.

"I understand," I muttered, not tearing my eyes away from the window. I was anxious to leave the study now, I needed to get out of there and hide from the horrors that were coming.

"However," the Governor carried on. This made me look at him, what more could there be to say? Was he not going to fire me after all? Was he just toying with my emotions to teach me a lesson?

"Out of compassion for the events that you have witnessed today and my deepest regards of my daughter, I will tell you this. You have a week to find alternative employment and I will write a letter of recommendation for you. You may stay here for the duration and continue your duties whenever Elizabeth has need of you."

Unconsciously I'd sat up straighter and moved even closer to the edge of the chair. Dangerously close to falling onto the floor, I pondered on his offer. He really was a generous man if he was offering me not only a letter of recommendation but also a place to stay for the week. I definitely hadn't been expecting it.

"I'm sure that I don't need to tell you what a generous offer this is."

I found that I was quite choked up with emotion. It was the perfect solution for me. A place to stay for the night, while still dangerous, it was much better than trying my luck in the town whilst it's being raided.

"Thank you so much, Sir. That's very kind of you." A traitorous tear slipped down my cheek. I was struggling to comprehend just how emotionally toiling today had been and it wasn't anywhere near finished yet.

"Please tell Mr Ainsworth to send for my carriage." It was a clear dismissal emphasised with a wave of his hand towards the door. I bobbed a quick nod, muttered another thank you and dashed out. The sun had finally set.

Stumbling down the hallway in a bit of daze, I nearly wandered straight into Mr Ainsworth himself. He looked as though he'd been trying to stay busy near the study for the purpose of overhearing the discussion that was taking place inside. I relayed the Governor's message and snorted a little at how eagerly he bounded off to do his master's bidding.

Finally I was able to head up to my room. Perhaps I'd have time for a nap. Sleep more than likely wouldn't come but it was worth a try. I was exhausted.

Unfortunately luck wasn't on my side as Estrella came waddling down the hall, arms laden down with sheets and other bedding. Every so often she poked her head out to the side so that she could see past everything that she was holding. I was hopeful that she wouldn't see me.

She did. Dropping everything unceremoniously onto the floor, I was swept into another giant bear hug. Tears were still pooling in my eyes but they had yet to fall down my face. Estrella noticed my distressed state and wisely didn't ask any questions, she just held me for a while making little 'shh' noises as though I were a small child.

As she didn't know any better, Estrella wrongly assumed that my emotional state was the result of meeting my first pirate and witnessing him threaten our friend and then escape. Not in any mood to correct her, I just let her carry on thinking that. The hug was nice and it was helping to calm me down but it couldn't last forever.

Although it was helping me it was also causing the urge to spill my secrets come to a head again. I extracted myself before I said something that I might regret. It was getting to be extremely tedious having to be careful with every word that I spoke.

"Go to our room and splash some cold water on your face, Ara. It'll get rid of the redness. Then come to Lizzy's room. She wants to see you." Estrella finally spoke as she set about picking up everything that she'd dropped. I helped her wordlessly and then took off in the direction of our room to do as she'd ordered.

About ten minutes later I was stood inside Lizzy's parlour that joined with her bedroom. I'd long given up all hope that I'd be left to grieve in my own solitude. My mood had darkened exponentially since the sun had set and I wasn't the best company. Whilst splashing with my face I'd come to the conclusion that I could warn Elizabeth and Estrella about what was coming without actually saying anything too specific. I'd feel a bit more reassured knowing that I'd tried but if the specifics were kept out then a change in the timeline was less likely to happen. It was a convoluted way of thinking but it made me feel significantly better.

While I was trying to fake happiness and hide my fear from my friends, I set about tidying up the already tidy room, trying to look casual.

"I hope my father wasn't too harsh, Ara? I begged him not to be." Lizzy called from her bed.

I wandered into her bedroom to join her and Ella.

"No, he was very fair," I said, omitting the fact that I'd actually been fired.

Lizzy didn't question me further, satisfied with my small answer and went back to reading her book. Ella was at the fireplace carefully filling up a bed warmer with hot coals. Feeling a little awkward, I moved over to the shuttered windows and closed the curtains in front. It would help to keep the heat from the fire in a bit better. I'd learnt since coming here that single glazed windows didn't really do much except keep you dry.

Gripping the curtains tightly in my fist, I took a deep breath and spoke before I could convince myself not too.

"I fear that something terrible is going to happen," I fired out rapidly, not looking at either of them.

Neither Lizzy nor Estrella responded. I turned around to check that they'd actually heard what I'd said. Ella was frozen on her knees by the fire staring at me in sympathy whilst Lizzy merely turned over the page in her book trying and failing to look as though she hadn't heard me. Her hunched shoulders told me a different story though. Lizzy had definitely heard me; she just didn't want to respond. I figured that it was because she was feeling the same as me but was in the denial stage.

Finally, Estrella found her voice. "Oh Ara, everything will be ok. Nothing terrible is going to happen. The pirate has been caught and he'll be locked up in jail by now. Please don't worry." A pitying look graced her features. I had an urge to slap it off. I didn't need pity; I needed acceptance that I wasn't crazy. I needed them to believe me.

Shaking off my growing anger and frustration – I wasn't usually a violent person – I tried to make Estrella understand.

"I know he's behind bars but that still doesn't stop me worrying. Anything could happen, Estrella. Just please promise me that if something happens you'll stay safe and watch out for Cook too if I can't."

It wasn't fair of me to ask Ella to look out for someone else's safety on my behalf. It was however, the only way that I could semi guarantee Cook's wellbeing if something were to happen to me. I wasn't willing to take any chances tonight.

"You're really spooked aren't you?" She replied. Lizzy still said nothing even though she'd given up pretending that she was reading. I said nothing, just gave Ella a flat look in an effort to convey my seriousness.

"If it'll make you feel better, I promise." She finally swore. Better, it definitely did make me feel. It felt like another small weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"I promise too," Lizzy finally spoke from her bed. I smiled in thanks at her, content now that I knew they would try their best to stay safe tonight. At least the promise would be fresh in their minds once the pirates attacked.

Moaning slightly from stiffness that had set into her legs, Ella rose from where she'd been kneeling in front of the fire place. Putting the bed warmer between the sheets at the end of Lizzy's bed she tried delicately to question Lizzy about today's events. Even though she'd been attending to Lizzy since we'd returned, the woman in question had apparently not been in the mood to talk. I couldn't blame her, her throat must still be sore.

"There you go Lizzy, it was a difficult day for you I'm sure!" Ella tried as she rearranged the sheets over the bed warmer. Lizzy looked up from her book and deliberately misinterpreted her words.

"I suspected Commodore Norrington would propose but I must admit I wasn't entirely prepared for it." She fixed us both with an accusatory glare. I brushed it off and carried on tidying up the bedroom, focusing on a non-existent mess on the hearth. Ella however blushed under the scrutiny and winced.

"Sorry Lizzy, we didn't know for sure either! But that's not what I meant and you know it."

Playing dumb, Lizzy raised an eyebrow at Ella who huffed at having to explain exactly what she meant. I snorted quietly to myself. The two best friends were helping me stay distracted in their own ways and it was nice until the worry and guilt came rushing back.

"I meant you both being threatened by that pirate. Sounds terrifying," Ella finally relented with a little shudder. To say that she was so sympathetic to me earlier, her sudden insensitivity in her quest for information shook me. "I remember my first time meeting a pirate. It was an awful experience and I didn't even get close to her unlike you both," she continued, oblivious to the look Lizzy and I was sharing.

Lizzy took one for the team and piped up half-heartedly.

"Oh yes, it was terrifying."

Lizzy wasn't scared of Captain Sparrow and neither was I. She was more afraid of almost drowning and I of the fearsome pirates that were ten times worse than Captain Sparrow would ever be. It was just easier to agree than spend the time explaining to Ella exactly what we meant and have to rehash uncomfortable details.

I gave a small 'hmm' in agreement to support Lizzy's small statement. I knew that we hadn't fooled Ella entirely and given the chance she'd begin with the extensive questioning. Luckily she decided to let it go for now. I suppose nearly dying and being threatened came with a perk after all.

"But the Commodore proposed! I know that you're not fond of him but it's a smart match if you accept. You'll want for nothing for the rest of your life," Ella declared with a smile. This was all beginning to feel like meaningless girl talk and I was itching to get away.

"It is a smart match. He's a fine man. He's what any woman should dream of marrying," Lizzy finally replied somewhat sadly, looking down at the open book in her lap. "While I'm fond of him, I wish I could marry for love like you Ella. Perhaps I shall grow to love him over time." Lizzy looked very unconvinced in her last statement.

"Well, that Will Turner, he's a fine man too." I couldn't help chiming in with a smug smile. Lizzy snapped the book closed in response and gave me a cold look. She was jealous that I'd noticed her beloved Will.

"That is too bold," she said testily. It took every ounce of will that I possessed to wipe the smile from my face after her reaction. If looks could kill I'd be six feet under by now.

"Begging your pardon, Miss. It was not my place to say," I replied primly and sarcastically. Oh yes, my failsafe was fully operational now. Leaping up to my feet, I headed out of the door with a little curtsey and a wave goodnight. Ella copied my actions not even attempting to hide her laughter. Just as we made it to the door of the parlour Lizzy called out.

"You're lucky that I like you, you know." Ella and I dissolved into giggles and closed the door behind softly behind us.

A glimpse of the moon shining on the fog that enveloped Port Royal and the Caribbean sea beyond made my light mood crash back down. A cold draft wafted through the hallway as we made our way to the servants quarters.

"Please Estrella," I finally said hoping that by using her full name she'd really appreciate just how serious I was. "Remember your promise." She eyed me cautiously and nodded slowly in response. It was enough for me. I just needed that extra security that she'd listened to me.

I was beyond emotionally exhausted by the time we reached the room we shared. Ella set about getting ready to sleep but I was far too anxious to even entertain the idea now. It wouldn't be long now. I'd finally got what I'd wanted ever since I'd arrived back at the manor – to come to my room and try and nap – and now I was too wound up. I set about trying to make a small fire in the tiny fireplace in our room to help with the chill. My hands were shaking too much to get it started.

A faint bang made me pause. My shaking increased. They'd arrived. More bangs came in quick succession, all of them faint. Port Royal was under attack. Ella looked at my shocked before running to the window. I joined her not a moment later. Down in the bay, lit by the fires raging on the shore line was the Black Pearl constantly firing their canons at everything within her sights.

I was right, the front line of houses wouldn't survive the burning inferno. Mercifully we were too far away to hear the screams of the townsfolk.

"Pirates," Ella breathed out. Her breathing was steadily becoming faster as realisation hit her.

"Ralph's down there! Please God, let him be safe." She murmured the soft desperate prayer whilst we both looked on horrified at the sight of Port Royal burning below us. Movement by the large gates to the manor house had my breathing joining Ella's rapid rate. Pirates. They were here. How had they got here so quick? They made fast work of the gates; the security it supposedly offered wasn't there and it barely slowed them down.

"Lizzy! They'll take her!" I rushed out, clutching at Ella's arm and directing her gaze to the pirates with flaming torches in their hands running up the driveway. My resolve to hide until this was all over was shattered the moment that I saw Port Royal burning. I couldn't just hide and wait for it all to blow over, I had to help. I had to do something. So when Ella ran as soon as she saw the aforementioned pirates, I desperately ran after her.

Hot on her heels, I didn't deter her as she ran straight into Lizzy's room. It would be safe in there for her for the time being. Knowing that Lizzy was heading to the doorway, I continued running to the stairs. I didn't make it in time.

"Don't!" Lizzy shouted just as Mr Ainsworth opened the front door.

"Hello chum," a cheery faceless voice spoke.

A gun shot. A dull thud. A scream.

Lizzy screamed. I screamed. I looked over the railing to see Mr Ainsworth flat on his back, eyes wide open and dull. Red was steadily seeping outwards on his chest, staining his pristine clothes. I may not have like the guy but he didn't deserve to be brutally murdered.

"Up there!" One of the pirates shouted as he pointed at Lizzy on the stairs.

There was no time to mourn. I grabbed Lizzy and pulled her up the rest of the stairs with me towards her room. She didn't need any other encouragement to move, she was firmly within the flight response like me. We were both smart and knew that we wouldn't stand a chance fighting against pirates, especially when we didn't have any experience with fighting to begin with!

My hands were perpetually shaking. There was nothing that I could do to make them stop. I'd never seen somebody get killed before. I could only hope that I wouldn't go into shock. That was one of the worst things that could at that moment in time.

Two of the pirates were hot on our heels. They must have been Ragetti and Pintel.

I pulled Lizzy none to gently into her room and then let her go as she hurriedly locked the door. Turning around we both gasped in shock once again as we ran straight into Ella.

I placed a shaking hand over my shuddering chest trying to catch my breath and push down my intense fear.

Estrella grabbed a fistful of Lizzy's robe in both hands and pulled her away from the door. Frantically running over to the parlour fireplace I picked up the metal poker to arm myself. There was no way that I was going to fight, but I figured that it'd be beneficial to have something to defend myself with if I was to try to escape.

"Lizzy," Ella implored. "They've come to kidnap you!"

Lizzy, who was too shocked from seeing Mr Ainsworth's murdered looked back at Ella in confusion and gave a little high pitched, "what?" in reply.

"You're the Governor's daughter," Ella stressed, tightening her hold on Lizzy.

Realisation suddenly dawned on her was a crash sounded at the door. The pirates had caught up to us. They were trying to break down the door. Loud bangs came in quick succession, the door shuddering from the force of their shoulders.

"Come on, in 'ere!" One of them shouted at the other. The bangs doubled and the sound of wood splintering made my heart race once again. The three of us in the room froze, looking at the door and willed it to hold. Another crash sent some wood flying towards us. It was the push that we needed. Bounding back into action I put an unsteady hand on Ella's back for reassurance. The poor woman sounded close to hyperventilation.

The door handle rattled. The door frame shook.

Lizzy took Ella's hands in hers before I could pull her away. It helped to ground Ella back into reality.

"They haven't seen you. Hide, and the first chance you get, run to the fort! You too, Ara!" Ella and I nodded in agreement rapidly.

The rattling and pounding became more insistent. The door would hold for much longer.

I dragged Ella with me behind the dressing screen in the parlour as Lizzy took off for the bedroom. We'd moved not a moment too soon. Just as we'd got behind the screen, the door finally gave and burst open with a loud crack. Pintel and Ragetti fell through not expecting the sudden empty doorway and raced towards Lizzy's bedroom. They must have just caught sight of her nightgown and she ran through the doorway.

Turning to Ella I whispered, "find Cook." I pushed her towards the now empty doorway for the hall. I had no intention of leaving Lizzy behind to face Pintel and Ragetti on her own. I knew that they had to take her, but I didn't want her hurt before they did.

A large clang sounded from Lizzy's bedroom. I made sure that Ella had definitely fled the room before going to aid Lizzy.

Bursting from behind the screen I nearly landed on a groaning Pintel rolling on the floor, clutching his nose. Lizzy was occupied with keeping Ragetti at bay by swinging the bed warmer at his face. Pintel started to get to his feet. Before I could think it through I was whacking him in the stomach with the fire poker, winding him and I stamped on his hand that was reaching for my ankle. He yelped in pin and hugged his hand to his middle. The heeled shoes had to have hurt even if the poker to the stomach barely did anything.

Ragetti started making stupid noises, similar to that of a small yappy dog. It was meant to intimidate but only managed to infuriate both Lizzy and I even further. Seeing as Pintel wouldn't be getting up for a small while, I turned my attention towards helping out Lizzy with Ragetti. As soon as I had however, she opened up the bed warmer and a shower of hot coals and ash rained down on Ragetti, some of it catching me too. Before he could see, I smacked him on the back of the head with the poker and he dropped to the floor, giving Lizzy an escape route from her bedroom.

Although the force wasn't enough to knock him out, it was enough to send the poker flying from my sweaty hands and land conveniently on Pintel's stomach, effectively winding him once again.

Lizzy seized the moment while they were both distracted and dragged me out of the room. My hands were stinging where the burning ash had caught me but it was a minor injury and I found that it was easily forgotten as soon as we made it to the stairs.

"Come on!" Pintel roared from the bedroom. We hadn't incapacitated them for as long as I'd hoped.

We raced down the stairs. The main doors were gaping open, waiting for us to run through to safety, timeline be damned. I was beginning to hope that we'd make it.

I spoke too soon.

We had almost made it down the stairs into the foyer when I crashed into the back of Lizzy who'd abruptly halted with another scream accompanied by a loud thud. A quick look over her shoulder – she was still taller than me even though she was stood on the step below – showed Ragetti now in front of us, smirking. Rapidly I looked back the way we came. Maybe we could make it out down the servant's stairs. No. Pintel was closing in on us from that way wearing the same smug smirk as his partner. I kept my back to Lizzy and my eyes on Pintel.

We were cornered. They had the upper hand and they knew it. Ragetti, flamed torch in his hand growled in Lizzy's face while Pintel did the same to me. Chills shuddered down my spine. If the goal was to intimidate, they definitely succeeded.

Another pirate slammed clumsily through the doors from the dining room, effectively distracting all of us. His arms were weighed down with gold and other priceless artefacts he'd found in the grand Swann manor.

I blinked. A faint bang. A whistle as something moved through the air. Suddenly a cannon ball came smashing through the wall, through a supporting pillar and catapulted the pirate back through the dining room doors. Surprisingly the cannon ball hadn't slowed down as it pierced through the wooden walls.

It was my turn to seize the moment. Looking up whilst Pintel and Ragetti were still distracted I saw the large crack ripping through the ceiling heading towards the giant chandelier. If I was lucky we'd make it.

Without giving it another thought, I seized Lizzy's hand, pushed her down the rest of the steps and ran to the opposite side of the room.

The chandelier was falling faster than I'd predicted. We were going to get caught underneath. That couldn't happen. Lizzy needed to stay safe, not get killed. Before I could think my actions through, I pushed Lizzy ahead of me just in time. Pain coursed through my back and I fell to the floor, the heavy metal ring of the chandelier pressing on my back.

As I fell, my head bounced harshly against the floor boards sparking black spots in my vision. I lay there, willing the pain to leave, willing the black spots to go but they started closing in. Everything was fuzzy.

I tried in vain to blink them away but it didn't work. More and more were clouding my vision. I had just enough sense to see Lizzy make it into another room away from the pirates until I couldn't take it anymore. I embraced the darkness and let myself go.

* * *

A/N: I own nothing expect my character and plot. No surprise but once again it's unedited. Thank you for reading!


	9. An Appalling Scene

A/N: Warning, this chapter gets quite intense and we see poor Mr Ainsworth in a bit more graphic detail. Just a heads up that this is a bit of a tough one and deals with grief too.

* * *

Everything was quiet. Too quiet. Why was I so groggy?

I was used to Ella's snoring waking me up but I couldn't hear anything. Cold was seeping into my chest from beneath me.

That wasn't right.

At least when I was in that awful excuse of a bed the straw mattress eventually warmed up from my body heat. The mattress was also softer than whatever it was that I was laid on right now.

It was all very odd.

Still feeling a bit dazed, I opened my eyes to the stone tiling of the hall underneath me. Almost everything from last night came rushing back instantaneously. I was laid in a patch of intense sunlight. The pirates must have kidnapped Lizzy hours ago!

I pulled my arms out to try and lift myself up. Nothing happened. There was a weight on my back. I couldn't get up. How was I going to help Lizzy now? I needed to get to Captain Sparrow and Will Turner. I had to convince them to let me join them. If I didn't hurry I would miss my chance and then I'd be stuck here forever and die.

Renewing my efforts I tried to lift myself up once again. Still nothing happened, I was stuck. I let out a sigh of frustration. How was I going to get out now?

Finally my groggy mind caught up with my situation. The chandelier fell on my back last night. That's what was pinning me down. Shouldn't I have been in pain right now? Even though it was keeping my place, it wasn't affecting my breathing or anything else. How could that be? Did I die? This was all too weird for my comfort. Something definitely wasn't right here.

I breathed out in frustration again. It struck me once again that it was far to quiet.

There should have been some noise, birds cawing or flies buzzing but there wasn't anything. I'd only been in such an intensely silent environment once in my life. I groaned in realisation. How hadn't I figured it out sooner?

Turning my head I looked for her. She had to be somewhere in the hall. It's not like there was anywhere to hide. The front doors were closed. All of the destruction that had rained down upon us last night had been cleared. It was just me in the middle of the floor with a damned chandelier on top.

I looked to my right to see if she was somehow hidden behind the small umbrella rack – I highly doubted it – when I felt a soft breeze flow over my exposed skin on my left. My head shot around as quick as a flash and there she was.

Tia Dalma. Sat on the floor next to me; legs crossed, face furious.

 _Uh oh. What had I done now?_

"You shouldn't 'av 'elped." She spoke darkly. I quickly school my features into a neutral expression and tried once again to lift myself up unsuccessfully.

Gritting my teeth I bit back, "I didn't have a choice. I couldn't just sit back and watch people die."

My frustration at not being able to get up was starting to bubble over into anger. How could she just expect me to watch people get murdered and not help? I liked to think that I was a decent person who did good things. I was not ok with murder.

"Everybody 'as a choice," she shot back quickly.

Giving up on trying to lift the chandelier, I figured that I might be able to shuffle out from under it. However before I could get the chance to start an army crawl her words stopped me dead.

"This," she gestured to the chandelier that wasn't budging even a millimetre from my efforts, "is what happens when you help. You could have died from your own stupidity."

Did she mean to say that the chandelier falling on me and knocking me out hadn't been an unlucky accident? I shook my head to rid myself of that trail of thought. No, I was just unlucky, that was all. My timing had been off last night. I refused to even entertain the idea that it wasn't pure coincidence.

"If you 'av been waiting for the right moment like I told you, t'is now. I must know before the 'urricane, t'is too important to delay any longer."

"What?" I said in a meek voice, eyeing her warily.

"I need to know how to be free before the 'urricane." Tia Dalma spoke resentfully. I knew that she didn't like repeating herself, but the time limit had been like a shot to the gut.

Oh god, not a good phrase to think. Flashbacks of Mr Ainsworth rose to the surface. Thankfully his body was no longer in the suspiciously clean hall with us. Forcefully I pushed it from my mind. I had too much to worry about without adding guilt over his murder to the list.

First Tia Dalma implies that my accident wasn't actually an accident. Then she says that I'm running out of time. Was she purposely trying to make me freak out? How could I stick to a time limit when I don't even know when this hurricane was supposed to make an appearance? It could be tomorrow for all I knew!

Feeling panic beginning to rear its ugly head once again; since arriving here we'd become closely acquainted much to my demise. I needed to put some space between myself and the infuriating Goddess. Her sheer presence and words were overwhelming me.

She could clearly see that I was struggling to free myself and yet she wasn't doing anything to help me. Why wasn't she helping me? Everything was pressing inwards. Pressure was building in my skull, making my head pound. My thoughts were starting to swirl around so fast that I was unable to make sense of them.

"For God's sake, just get this thing off me! I can't think straight!" I imploded. The volume of my voice shocked me into silence. I tried to focus on steadying my breathing so that my attention was moved from my buzzing mind. When I felt like I was in a semi-stable state, I turned my attention back to Tia Dalma.

She didn't move. Unbelievable. I could still feel the weight of the chandelier fixing me in place. What the heck? I swear this woman – Goddess – was going to make me have an aneurysm.

I sighed as I finally took in her expression. She was not amused or pitying in the slightest. In fact she kind of had the expression of a disappointed teacher. Heat flooded my cheeks. How was it that one look from her and I felt like I was a school child again who had broken the rules? Not that I could actually picture her as a teacher, even the thought was terrifying.

We sat in silence for a short while. I couldn't stop fidgeting; I had to be on the move. Neither of us wanted to be the one to break the quiet and after my outburst I certainly wasn't going to be the one to cave. I was feeling thoroughly chastised for letting my panic get the better of me even though I couldn't really help it. There was one good side though, the panic had subsided to a manageable level and I no longer felt the need to run.

"When you wake, William Turner will have awoken. You will know where to find 'im." Tia finally spoke. Maybe she got sick of my stubbornness or just wanted me to get a move on. I don't know. Depending on how long it took me to get to Port Royal, Will would either still be unconscious on the ground, shouting at the Commodore or freeing Captain Sparrow from prison. I hoped that I was quick enough for it not to be the latter. I wouldn't stand a chance of them letting me accompany them on their quest and my mission would be over before it had really truly begun.

"Wait, what do you mean when I wake? Aren't I awake now?" I suddenly realised. How could I not be awake? Surely this wasn't a dream. My mind couldn't be that twisted that I'd started to dream about my kidnapper.

She shook her head, reaching up to twist one of her dreadlocks in her hand. It had two small bones dangling from the end of it, attached by some coloured thread that was woven around the dark lock.

"So this is a dream?" Some clarification would be nice. It didn't feel like a dream and I'm sure that I wouldn't dream something like this up if it was.

Again, she shook her head. From her pocket she produced a small knife and started to hack at the dreadlock she'd twisted around her hand. I narrowed my eyes at her strange action. Why was she doing this?

"If it's not a dream then what is this?" I implored, keeping my eyes on the bones swinging in the air. A sharp pain was starting to form on my hair line, and the chandelier felt like it was becoming heavier.

No answer again. What a surprise. I was beyond exasperated at this point with her sudden lack of answers.

Discomfort from the chandelier bloomed into agony. My head was spinning once again but this time from the intense pain. I couldn't escape it. It enveloped me and set my body alight. Every slice she took with the blunt knife to her hair, I felt replicated either on my back or my head.

Vision blurring, I tried to focus on Tia Dalma. I tried to tell her to stop. I wanted to scream but nothing was working the way I wanted it to. My mouth opened but short laboured gasps came out. Darkness was closing in again with the promise of more hurt. I didn't want it to. I wanted to stay away from the pain, not reach out for more.

Not able to withstand, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore my pulse racing in my ears. For the second time in no more than twelve hours I slipped into injury induced unconsciousness.

Lacerating pain cutting through my back and head were the first things I registered. Moaning softly, I tried to shuffle out from under the chandelier that had settled punishingly on my upper back. It was too heavy.

Whimpering, I squeezed my eyes together and gritted my teeth. God, who would have thought it'd be this painful being stuck under a chandelier? Bringing my arms underneath me, I started to raise myself up into a plank. They were shaking from the strain, my back screaming at me to stop. Faster that I thought I'd ever be able to manage I twisted whilst lifting even more and the large metal chandelier slipped from my back, scrapping the dress as it went.

Something tore, or reopened, I really wasn't sure at this point just what my injuries were. All I knew was that I hurt pretty much all over. I couldn't even take a deep breath without a stabbing pain in my lungs. Praying that I hadn't cracked a rib when I fell, I tried to focus on taking small breaths before I did anything else.

I had yet to open my eyes but I knew that sunrise wasn't too far off. I wasn't laid in a patch of blinding sunlight like I had in my encounter - or whatever that was - with Tia Dalma, but it was still light enough to not be the middle of the night. Knowing that this meant the Black Pearl and her cursed pirates were long gone with Lizzy but not late enough for me to find Will, I took things slowly.

Finally, the pain had dulled a little and I unclenched my jaw and blearily opened my eyes. The lashes of my left eye were crusted shut but with some soft rubbing they reluctantly separated granting me vision with both eyes.

A scream wrenched through me, my shaking body scrambling backwards. I didn't make it far, the pain got too much. Something was sluggishly trickling down my back and seeping uncomfortably into my dress. I suspected it was blood. That stupid metal ring had done more damage than I'd initially thought.

Mr Ainsworth's pale face was looking directly at me. His eyes cold and lifeless. A pool of red had settled around him in a macabre halo, starting to brown on the edges where it was drying.

Tears streamed down my cheeks and I clutched at my ribs as violent sobs wracked through me, jerking my entire body.

He didn't deserve this death. He had his faults but he was a good man.

I lost track of time at how long I was sat there curled in on myself, unable to take my gaze off his face. When I felt like I had the sobs under control I tried to crawl over to him. I wouldn't have been able to walk if I'd tried.

Shakily, I made slow progress being mindful of my back wound. I sat and stared at him. It was worse up close. A shocked expression was fixed on his face. The last thing he should have seen was people whom he loved, not a gun pointed at his chest. My heart pounded furiously against my ribs. Guilt settled in. I knew it'd be a permanent resident. I'd never be able to escape what happened here last night. I'd never be able to escape what happened in Port Royal.

Eventually my head won over my heart. I had to leave before people came looking for the injured and dead. They'd take one look at me and heave me straight on over to the doctor and his dubious medical care. Besides, I had a job to do with an unknown time limit. Who knew when this hurricane was due?

Unable to leave Mr Ainsworth in his current state, I was torn over what to do. The sun was rapidly rising but I still didn't move from my seat on the floor. His icy blue eyes were staring at me accusingly. They seemed to scream, "why did you let them do this to me?" A message meant just for me. I couldn't take. My hands hadn't stopped shaking since I had woken up, and as I reached out it was moving so violently that it was almost a blur. Shifting onto my knees, I leant over his red halo and softly closed his eyes hoping that he'd be able to find peace. My fingertips left a red smear on his face. It must have been blood on my lashes that I'd rubbed away.

Sitting back on my haunches, I closed my eyes again, and sat there as silently as I could for a couple of minutes out of respect for the deceased butler. Once I felt my resolve to leave his side start to waver, I braced myself and stood unsteadily. The dull ache in back became stabbing once more and the room span a little bit, probably as a result from my head injury. Concussion most likely, though I hoped not.

It took two steps for me to realise that the only way I could walk without jarring my wound or my aching ribs was to hunch my shoulders and keep one hand wrapped around my chest. As I headed towards the staircase, I passed that damned chandelier. On it was something that I hadn't noticed before. I tilted my head to get a better look at it.

A big mistake.

Stars danced in front of my eyes. Worried that I was going to pass out again, I sank to my knees so that the fall wouldn't be as far. Taking as deep breaths as I could manage, I managed to keep the impending fainting spell at bay and once more focused on what had grabbed my attention.

There, wrapped around the chandelier was a lock of dark brown matted hair. The same one that Tia Dalma had been hacking off. She really had been here. There was no time to think on the extent of her magical voodoo or whatever she wanted to call it. I needed to try and get back to my room and get cleaned up before I went anywhere and that was going to take time that I was running out of. I had a sneaking suspicion that I looked like I'd walked straight out of a horror film.

Picking up the coarse hair, I unwound it from a candle, and stashed it in my pouch within my skirts and made my way back to my shared room.

It had been slow going. I'd had to stop multiple times to catch my breath, particularly on the stairs. By the time I'd made it I was drenched in sweat as well as blood.

There was no avoiding the mirror. The water bowl and rag were directly underneath it. Steeling myself, I glanced into it. I flinched. Tear tracks had merged with the blood that had trickled down my temple from my hairline, making my face a streaky pink and scarlet red. Hair closest to the cut was matted and stained a dark brown where the blood had dried.

Shock at the state of my face reeled me back a few paces before I decided that it probably looked worse than it was. Head wounds had a tendency to bleed overdramatically and mislead just how bad the cut actually was.

With that in mind I set to work trying not to think of Mr Ainsworth still laid there in the open doorway. Hopefully any animals that might be out wouldn't be too curious by the scent of blood and leave him alone.

Wringing the rag out over the bowl, I dragged it harshly over my face. I deserved all of the pain that I was feeling. I could have saved him. I didn't. Once my face was clean and presentable looking, I dropped the rag back into the water. The cut on my hair line would probably scar. Good. Every time I saw it I'd be reminded of what happened here. I'd never forget.

The woman who stared back at me was unrecognisable. She had the same features as me, the same wild ginger hair, but something had changed. Bags drooped low underneath her hazel eyes. There was no longer any spark in them. The woman in the mirror was me. I knew that, but I didn't want to accept it. Seeing Mr Ainsworth murdered had changed me. I'd lost an innocence that I hadn't realised I'd had.

Shaking my head in disgust at what I saw, I knocked the mirror to the ground in a fit of rage. How could I stand to look at myself after what my actions – or lack thereof – had resulted in. It smashed as soon as it hit the floor. Seven years bad luck. I deserved it.

Feeling somewhat disassociated from myself, I set about removing my dress, taking a grim delight in the pain it was causing me every time I twisted my back uncomfortably.

The stays took some time to remove without the help of Estrella. I prayed again that she and Ralph were unharmed. I seemed to be doing that a lot today. Not really being someone who bought into religion, I thought of myself as more spiritual than anything else. I believed that there was something out there but every religion I'd explored was missing something. As such, I never really prayed. Today though, I was throwing them out left, right and centre, meaning every word I thought and spoke.

The stays dropped to the floor at my feet. Scarlet kissed the material, seeping outwards in a rough semi-circle from the top down. The chandelier must have cut me between my shoulder blades. If it'd landed lower down the stays probably would have protected me and I'd have walked away with a purple bruise.

Bandages, I needed bandages. Not having any to hand, I was going to have to make my own. Standing in my room in nothing but the white undershirt which was sticking uncomfortably to my back I started tearing one of the petticoats into strips. It ripped with surprising ease.

Not wanting to see the damage on my back, I ripped off the undershirt quickly and dabbed away the blood to the best of my ability without being able to see before wrapping my chest and ribs in my makeshift bandages. As well as keeping my wound bound, it had the added benefit of holding down my breasts. I'd finally found a way to go without the damned stays pinching at my waist and yet still be supported. Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?

Wrinkling my nose at the thought of putting on another dress, I unpacked my pyjamas and clutched them to my chest. They'd long since lost the scent of home but they were a comfort that I needed. Without putting them on I left the room in a complete mess, my bloody clothes strewn all over the floor amongst shards of mirror. I wouldn't be coming back here.

Wandering semi naked probably wasn't a smart thing to do but I didn't care. I was the only living person left in the house, I'm sure that somebody would have seen to Mr Ainsworth and given him the respect he deserved by the time I'd woken up.

Still in a daze I turned into the men's servant wing, I studiously ignored Mr Ainsworth's room and open the door to one about half the way down. I didn't know who it belonged to nor did I care. I just wanted clothes that I could move freely in. I felt like I was on autopilot. Everything was numb. For once my thoughts were silent. All I could process was simple instructions such as 'find clothes' and 'don't let go of the pyjamas'.

Rifling through the trunk at the end of the bed, I pulled out a white blouse, some beige trousers and woollen socks. I donned the clothes silently, not even making a noise when my back groaned in protest. The trousers fit snuggly over my hips but I had to roll them over a few times so that I wouldn't trip on them. The white blouse was oversized so I tucked it into the trousers. The long sleeves clinched on to my wrists. Whoever these clothes belonged to must have had a very similar build to me.

With my stomach growling at me in protest, I finally took note of my basic needs. I hadn't eaten a proper meal in twenty four hours give or take. Tucking the pyjama's safely under my arm, I tied the strings in a bow over my breasts making the floaty blouse more modest that it'd been before. The gap on the neck had stretched down almost to the bottom of my bandages. If I'd gone out like that I was sure to be arrested.

Padding into the kitchen, I froze mid-step. The cursed pirates had really made a mess of things in here. The stove was in pieces. How they'd managed that I had no idea, that thing was solid metal! Smashed crockery lined the floor, food destroyed was starting to smell in the increasing heat. Cook's pride and hoy was completely destroyed.

Recovering, I stepped into the kitchen, not caring if ceramic and porcelain stabbed my feet. I would have welcomed any more pain with open arms. Moving over to the pantry I took stock of what was left. There wasn't much. I didn't need a lot. Just enough to get me by today. Even though the thought of eating was ironically turning my stomach, I knew that I needed to eat if I didn't want to faint from a lack of sustenance.

I took only what I thought I'd need. All the ginger that I could find, I scooped up into my arms and placed onto the table that was somehow still standing despite missing a leg. Spying a brown leather satchel still in one piece, I claimed it as my own and put all my wares into it after wrapping them in my pyjamas.

Swiping a piece of stale bread, I made my way to the servant entrance only to double back. I could hardly walk all the way to Port Royal in just woollen socks. They'd be ruined before I was even half way there.

Eventually I came across some black leather boots with a brown edging around the top and a small chunky heel. They looked like the Governors. Pulling them on, they came to just under my knee and pinched my feet a little. I could deal with that. Being leather meant that they were supple and eventually would stretch out to fit properly. For the first time I realised that the Governor had freakishly small feet. It almost made want to smile. Almost. I think it's going to be a long time before I found true enjoyment in life after last night. Berating myself for even thinking about something happy while Mr Ainsworth was dead I hurried out of the door and towards Port Royal, the satchel strap rubbing agonisingly on my wound.

The Caribbean sun was setting up for a scorching hot day. Sweat graced my brow almost as soon as I'd made it to the manor house gate. I tried to keep to the shade where possible on my walk down to Port Royal. My lack of hat meant that my face was extremely likely to get burnt.

Munching on the stale bread – it felt like clay in my mouth – I thought about how liberating it felt wearing trousers again. There was something about the coarse fabric rubbing against my thighs and the lack of a draft that I'd missed. I didn't take any enjoyment out of it like I'd imagined I would. It wasn't the right time. Maybe at some point I'd be able to but not today.

The pale clothes reflected the heat as best as they could but the majority of it was still absorbed adding to my discomfort. That, I could embrace.

I was almost to the edge of town when it finally dawned on me that I was a woman wearing men's clothes in the eighteenth century. Social conventions in this era were extremely strict as I'd already witnessed. I didn't want to risk being arrested and sent to an asylum. Hopefully people would be too busy trying to put their destroyed lives and homes back together and not notice. My hair was a dead give-away though. I'd long since rid it of the hair pins and was lacking anything to tie it up out of the way with. As such it streamed down to the middle of my back in untamed frizz and curls.

By now my cheeks were heated and probably a bright pink from both the unrelenting sun and my overexertion. Walking past the first few houses I was surprised, they looked relatively unharmed. A couple of broken windows but that was about it. I suspected that the damaged would get worse the closer that I got to the docks. Being on the far side of town, the pirates wouldn't have bothered as much here.

The buzz of people was steadily rose the further inwards I went. People started wandering past. Like I'd guessed they were all too busy to notice the hunched shouldered woman wearing men's clothing.

Broken windows became more common, the stench of burning hang over the streets like an inescapable cloud. Glass and splintered wood littered the floor. I strode over it not caring that it was getting embedded into the sole of my stolen shoes.

It came out of nowhere and caught me completely by surprise. A loud bang sounded to my right followed by three others in quick succession.

I threw myself to the ground. I didn't see the street I was walking down. I was back in the manor house, in the hallway watching Mr Ainsworth get shot in the chest in cold blood.

Logically I knew that I wasn't back there. I wasn't witnessing his death over again but I couldn't shake the vision. My breathing was growing rapid again. Counting to ten slowly, I tried to calm myself down. I couldn't lose it here in the middle of the street. I had a job to do.

When that didn't work I tried to replace the image of Mr Ainsworth falling backwards with one of Amy bringing me a cup of tea after a hard shift at the bar I'd worked in. After a couple of minutes my breathing slowed. Opening my eyes, I saw the beat-up street I was crouched in.

Tears were pooling in my eyes and I straightened up and looked around for what had caused my breakdown. There, to my right, was a man up a ladder hammering nails into the wall. My subconscious must have mistaken it for gunshots. I needed to pull myself together. I couldn't be this jumpy for the rest of my time here.

A few women who had been sweeping the street had stopped what they were doing to stare at my sudden fall but deemed it not worth their time. They turned their backs to me and carried on sweeping the debris. My whole body was tensed up. That was a close one.

Luck seemed to be on my side at that moment in time. Underneath the ladder I noticed the man's hat. It looked big enough to hide all my hair underneath. Glancing around to make sure that he was still busy hammering away and the woman still had their backs to me, I darted for it and ran as fast as my back would allow, turning the corner before I dared to slow down.

The brim of the hat was stiff like a cap, it jut out far enough to keep my face shaded from the sun. Twisting my hair onto the top of my hair, I manoeuvred the flimsy fabric part over it. It was just big enough to keep it all in place. Hopefully I looked like a messenger boy now. Nobody takes any notice of them.

Recognising the pub at the end of the street as the one where Will was knocked out by, I strode quickly, heart in my throat, praying that I wasn't too late and he'd still be there.

My luck had run out. He wasn't there. I'd missed him. Doubling back, I picked up the pace and practically ran towards the fort. I had to catch him before he spoke to Captain Sparrow! Everybody was too busy to spare me a second glance and I made it to the fort in record time but I was suffering for it. My breathing was laboured once again and I was soaked in sweat

Guards were everywhere. Assuming that security had been doubled after the raid was a smart thing to do. Red coats marched along to walls, skirting carefully around the parts that had sustained damage from the canon fire. If we'd been back in my day health and safety would be having a field day right now at the amount of work place violations.

I kept my head down and walking through the nearest entrance in the Fort. The guard didn't stop me. The cap must have worked wonders on my appearance. Either that or he wasn't very good at his job.

As soon as I'd passed him however I realised that the reason he'd let me through wasn't because of what I'd thought. He was letting everybody through.

Sobs burst out of my lips and tears tracked down my cheeks again. This was where they were bringing their dead. I watched in morbid fascination as two guards carried another body – one holding him under his shoulders, the other grasping onto his ankles – and placed him gently down next to another.

There were two full rows of bodies, stretching the entire length of the courtyard. Wails and screams that weren't my own pierced my ears and stabbed at my heart. People were crowded around their loved ones mourning their loss. My pain could never be as great as theirs. The sight sobered me up quickly. Telling myself that they deserved to grieve without having me as a witness I looked away.

The sobs had stopped thankfully, but the tears were still trickling. My temples and sinuses were pounding from the amount of crying that I'd done today. The cursed pirates hadn't been picky with the lives that they'd stolen last night. It added to my guilt. If I'd spoken up perhaps these lives could have been spared.

A dull twang followed by a heavy shout of "that's not good enough!" sounded just too my left in an alcove. I knew that voice. It was Will. I'd found him! Pulling myself together and trying to quench my tears, I took off in order to intercept him.

I caught sight of him just as he strode out, a scowl marring his pleasant features.

"Mr Turner!" I shouted. I needed him to stop walking if I had any hope of catching up to him. He was simply moving too fast, fuelled by anger and purpose. He whirled around looking for who'd shouted after him. Finally he set his sights on me as I was the one jogging up to him, satchel bouncing on my hip.

"Good day," I started, trying to stay pleasant.

"Do I know you?" He tersely replied. He definitely wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. Not that I could blame him when the love of his life had just been kidnapped by pirates.

"Well, I should hope so. It's me. Arabella Fenn," I said a little smartly.

"Miss Fenn?" The poor man was so shocked. Looking at me in concern he gave me a once over, taking in my attire. I chose to beat him before he could comment.

"I didn't have anything else to wear. They took Lizzy and I need to find out how to find her!" I hoped that by using his weakness – Elizabeth – he'd let me join him.

"Miss Fenn, you really should go find your friends and make sure they're alright. This is no place for you. I know they took Lizzy, and I promise you that I'll find her and bring her home safe." Will placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes imploringly. This was not good. He didn't want me to come with him.

"I know what you're doing," I blurted out. He removed his hands from my shoulders faster than lightening and gave me a guarded expression. I hoped that he would never play poker, he'd lose every time.

"What?"

"You're going to speak to Captain Sparrow aren't you." Not where I thought I was going to go with this but I could roll with it.

"No I'm not."

"Don't lie to me, Mr Turner." I drew myself up to my full height and tried make myself look imposing and a little threatening. It didn't work judging from his expression. My back was in too much agony to fully straighten up.

"I know what you're doing and you're going to take me with you. Captain Sparrow has the answers that we need."

He made to interrupt me but I held up a hand in warning letting him know that I wasn't finished speaking. Surprisingly he complied.

"If you don't take me, I will run back to the Commodore and the Governor and tell them exactly what you're planning on doing. I can be pretty convincing when I want to be, Mr Turner. Are you willing to take that chance?" My tone turned threatening and I placed my hands on my hips for emphasis.

I hadn't expected to blackmail my way onto this venture but if it worked I wasn't about to complain. I'd get what I wanted. After the twenty four hours of hell that I'd just experienced I wasn't about to let anybody walk all over my fragile state. I needed to protect myself from more lasting damage and if being harsh and mean was the way to achieve that, then so be it.

Will looked positively panic stricken. I supposed it wasn't every day that he was blackmailed and by a woman no less. He ran a hand down his mouth and goatee as he deliberated on the best course of action.

"You're not leaving me with much of a choice," he pointed out sullenly. I knew that tone. He was going to accept. I shook my head in response and set a sardonic smirk on my lips. He knew I had him. His morals wouldn't allow him to harm me so his only options left where to risk my bluff or let me tag along. I hoped that he'd choose wisely.

With a sigh he finally relented.

"You can come with me, but I do the talking. I don't want you getting too close to him; he's a pirate after all." I chuckled humourlessly. If only he knew what his future held for him.

I motioned politely with my hand that wasn't grasping onto the satchel from my nerves.

"If you'd be so kind as the lead the way, Mr Turner."

* * *

A/N: Sorry, no Jack in this chapter but he'll definitely be a main character from here on out! ;) I really wanted to explore just how emotionally affected Arabella would be in this situation. She isn't the kind of character that's going to brush death off like it meant nothing to her. I wanted her to be more realistic. This chapter was quite difficult to write and I found myself putting it off. I'm glad that I've included it though, we see another side to our leading lady that really rounds her out. She's a flawed character and I love that. The death of Mr Ainsworth is going to be something that she'll struggle and have to come to terms with throughout the novel. It's going to impact her decisions from here on. Once again, thank you for reading, I hope you're all still enjoying!

I don't own anything except my OC's and my original plot. This is unedited (what a surprise) and sorry for the long A/N! Until next time x


	10. An Inconceivable Jailbreak

So far nobody had questioned why Will and I were seemingly wandering around the court, heading in the general direction of the jail cells. We'd decided that we'd look too inconspicuous if we just ran straight there and someone was bound to stop us.

Luckily we made it to the corridor that led to the cells without being questioned. Unluckily there was a guard stationed outside of the door. I chose not to dwell too long on the large copper stain covering the wall next to him. I knew it was blood, and if there was that much from just one person they were sure to be dead.

Will pulled me out of my thoughts as he latched onto my arm and tugged me to a halt just before the corridor.

"You don't have to go down there," he said concerned. Sweet of him to try but that wasn't going to fly with me. I was going down there no matter what. I wanted to see Captain Sparrow and see if I could suss him out any better than I'd been able to yesterday.

I thought back to his infuriating blank face and scowled a little. Will's concerned expression dropped. He must have thought that my scowl was directed at him. To reassure, I patted his hand that held onto my arm and smiled before motioning for us to go.

We'd discussed the possibility of there being a guard stationed at the only entrance and exit to the cells and what we might do on the way over here, but now that we had actually arrived nerves seemed to take over. This had to work otherwise we'd be in big trouble before we'd even have chance to get away.

Removing his hand from my arm we wandered over to the guard who eyed us suspiciously. He was cautious, not that I could blame him after a night like last night, but it wasn't great for us. It'd be even harder to convince him to leave if he was so dedicated.

Why couldn't it have been Mullroy or Murtogg? No, it was better that it was a man I'd never met before. If it was the other two there'd be a chance that I'd be recognised. Dressed like this they'll be sure to think that I'm hysterical or something and they'll probably cart me off somewhere meaning that I'll not have the chance to join Captain Sparrow and Will on the Inteceptor. If I missed this opportunity I'll die according to Tia Dalma. If I do fail, I hope that it's a swift death and not something like being stabbed in the stomach.

Mr Ainsworth flashed before my eyes again, brought on by my morbid thoughts. I was watching him crash to the ground. Tears started welling. I pushed the imager back and tried to focus on what we were doing. This had to go right.

Will and I were about four feet away from the guard when he decided that we were close enough.

"Civilians are not allowed down here." He spoke tersely.

"I'm sorry, Sir. We're here to relieve you." Will replied, sticking to the plan.

The guard hummed and clicked his teeth before speaking again.

"I highly doubt that. Now leave before I arrest you." He looked down his nose at us.

This wasn't going well. They'd only exchanged a few words and Will was already flailing. He was looking at me for support. I jumped in with a huge gamble and hoped to anybody that was listening that it'd pay off.

"Please don't Sir," I started, trying to sound frightened. "Another guard sent us, said he needs you to help in the courtyard. Said to say his name, Sir."

The guard looked at me disbelieving with raised eyebrows and interrupted me before I could finish. I suppressed a scowl of annoyance.

"Oh really? Pray tell, what was his name?"

"Lieutenant Ladock, Sir."

I hoped that the name meant something to him. I'd never heard of the man but some of guards that I'd passed on my way into the courtyard that morning had been moaning between themselves about a Lieutenant Ladock making them do some work.

It had the desired effect, looks like this Lieutenant Ladock was a scary man. At the name drop, the colour dropped from the guards face and he ran off down the corridor without a word to either of us. It was a bit rude, he could have at least apologised for threatening to arrest us, although that probably would've been the best thing for him do had he known that we're about to free a captive pirate.

We watched him jog down the corridor before Will turned to me.

"How'd you know that'd work?" he asked.

"I didn't," I replied, looking at him honestly.

Will met my gaze with wide eyes before remembering what we were supposed to be doing and dashing through the door and down the stairs to the cells.

I followed, being careful not to jar my back and cause me so much pain that I become crippled. I hugged one hand to my ribs, the other I trailed along the damp wall to steady myself in case I fell down the steep stairs.

"You. Sparrow." Will demanded when I was about half way down. A deep and unconcerned "aye" came in response. I made it to the bottom few stairs and paused to get my breath back. I needed to present myself as though I wasn't in pain. If either of them saw that I was injured I was sure that they'd leave me behind in a heartbeat.

"You are familiar with that ship. The Black Pearl," Will clarified.

I rounded the corner at the bottom of stairs and made sure that I stuck to the shadows. I didn't want Captain Sparrow to recognise me. If I can fool him like I had fooled Will, then maybe he'll let me on board the ship.

I was a bit iffy about where he stood in regards to sailing with a woman on board his ship. I know he was fine with it in the films but this wasn't a film. This was real life and I needed to exercise caution wherever possible. I may have knowledge of the main events but when it came to the small nuances like these, I was practically clueless. Besides, the general consensus of this time was that a woman's place was in the house tending to her husband and children, not gallivanting around with pirates. I wasn't willing to take the chance.

I snorted a little at the sight of a snapped dog bone sticking out of the large lock to the cell. Did he really think that he'd be able to pick the lock with that? I supposed desperate times called for desperate measures, especially since there was no sign of the dog that held onto the keys. I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't get to meet him.

Hoping that the shadows were distorting my facial features a little, I finally took note of the Captain. He was sprawled out on the straw covered floor acting as though we'd interrupted his relaxation time. I wasn't surprised to see him wearing the same clothes as yesterday, although it was bizarre to see him without his signature hat again.

He glanced at me curiously as I kept as close to the wall as possible and tried to squash down a shiver from the cold. Being out of the sun and in a place so damp, the temperature was considerably cooler down here.

"I've heard of it," Captain Sparrow finally said, sliding his gaze back to Will and making himself more comfy on the floor. I wished him luck with that, he was going to struggle getting comfy against the uneven flag stones.

"Where does it make berth?" Will demanded. He was so obviously impatient and I could see that Captain Sparrow had picked up on that fact. If I could hazard a guess I'd say that he was going to keep Will talking for as long as possible just for the fun of it now. The only problem was that we didn't have a lot of time. It wouldn't be long before the guard found Ladock and realised that Will and I weren't a relief team, and they'd come rushing back here. We needed to be gone before then.

I also wasn't sure what Will meant by 'make berth' and I mouthed it to myself, trying to figure it out. As soon as I noticed the Captain watching me with an amused expression I snapped my mouth shut embarrassed. I was going to have to be careful around him. He was perceptive.

"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" Captain Sparrow paused and raised his head to look at us both shocked. Of course I knew, but I didn't want to give anything away, it'd be too dangerous. Will however just had a confused expression on his face.

Seeing that he wouldn't be getting an answer from either of us, Captain Sparrow sighed and dropped is head back onto the floor. He propped one hand up into the air, resting his elbow on the stones below. It struck me again just how uncomfortable he must have been laid down like that. The stones were extremely uneven and there was bound to be some jagged edges digging into his back, yet it didn't look like it was bothering him in the slightest.

"Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta."

He accompanied his little tale with elaborate swishes from his propped up hand. Very dramatic. Every time it swished through a patch of sunlight - let in from the hole in the wall that I suspected was newly made from a cannon ball – his rings shone brightly on his fingers, scattering light across the cell.

I was quite surprised that he'd been able to speak about Barbossa and the crew of 'miscreants' so calmly, especially since they were his crew at one point. They didn't exactly treat him well though. It's not like marooning their Captain on an island was a nice thing to do, even more so by sailing away in his ship. That really had to have been a tough time for him.

There was a good side I supposed, in that he didn't have a share in the curse because of their actions. He'd probably be more devastated about the fact that he wouldn't be able to taste the rum as he drank it than anything else.

Captain Sparrow closed his eyes and tried to give off the impression that he'd told this story many times before and was bored of it now. If I hadn't have known any better, then I probably would've believed it like Will so obviously did, his face was an open book.

As such, I rolled my eyes at the Captain's attitude and waited for him to finish. Looking around I tried to find somewhere where I could sit without it being obvious that standing for so long was causing me some pain between my shoulder blades. Spying a wooden bench in the shadow, I strode over and sat down facing the cell, waiting for Captain Sparrow to finish his little tale.

"It's an island that cannot be found…" he paused again for dramatic effect. I rolled my eyes once more, getting the feeling that I'd be doing that a lot around him from now on, and watched and he raised his head up, eyes glinting in mischief. Raising his hand that wasn't supporting his weight, he pointed carelessly between Will and I.

"…except by those who know where it is." The Captain finished with another flourish of his hand and a self-satisfied smile.

For a pirate he had surprisingly good teeth, I noticed. Despite some of them being a gaudy gold – real or not, it still wasn't quite to my taste – I had to grudgingly admit that he made the look work. They fit with the rest of his tattered appearance. If he cleaned up a little I dared to even say that he might look a little handsome.

Shaking my head to get rid of that dangerous line of thought, I tuned back in - after a huge yawn - to what was going on. Apparently being unconscious for however long doesn't quite have the same effect as actual sleep. I was severely lacking in that department and being sat down in a dimly lit room wasn't helping matters. If I wasn't careful, I'd end up snoozing on the bench now that all of my adrenaline had run out.

Will was looking down at the floor and mumbling to himself as he thought.

"The ship's real enough. Therefore its anchorage must be a real place." He reasoned. Fair play to the man, he figured that out quicker than I thought he would.

I shifted around on the bench, it wasn't the comfiest thing that I could be sat on, and my bum was beginning to go numb. Every time I shifted a lancing pain shot down my back and it took everything I had no to let it show.

"Where is it?" Will finally thought to ask Captain Sparrow who had since dropped his head back down to the floor and had started examining his fingernails nonchalantly.

"Why ask me?" The pirate responded smartly.

Will sighed in frustration whilst I stifled another yawn. This was taking far too long and I was right in thinking that Captain Sparrow was stalling for time now that he'd seen how impatient Will was.

"Because you're a pirate," Will replied candidly.

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" The Captain goaded raising his head to look at Will. How did he not have neck ache with all of that movement he was doing? It was beyond me that was for sure.

Will grabbed onto the bars of Captain Sparrow's cell door in anger making it rattle against the frame.

"Never!" He spat out. Quickly, I moved off the bench. Being careful to keep my face shrouded, I walked forwards and placed a comforting hand on Will's shoulder. I deliberated for a moment before deciding that something needed to be said. If I spoke too loud, the Captain would be able to tell for sure that I was a woman and he'd probably recognise my voice. I wasn't really willing to take that chance so I kept my voice to a whisper.

"We need to hurry up. The guard will be back soon."

I knew that the Captain had heard at least some of what I'd whispered but he chose not to comment on it, thankfully. However, saying that, he'd probably use it to his advantage somehow. Cursing internally for not keeping my mouth shut, I realised that of course he'd use it to his advantage. Captain Sparrow was a smart man; he'd stall for more time and see just how far he could push us both.

Will took a moment to deliberate over my words before nodding in my general direction signalling his acceptance. With a sigh he loosened his tight grip on the metal bars and stepped back, looking everywhere except at the pirate.

"They took Miss Swann," he said in a rush, as though he were embarrassed to be revealing this fact to Captain Sparrow.

From where I was stood, I could no longer see Will's face but I had an excellent view of the reclined pirate. He was watching Will closely as he'd spoken and upon hearing what was said, dropped his fake nonchalance and swapped it or one of overenthusiastic excitement. It was the kind that couldn't be faked; there was innocence about it. I never thought that innocence would be a word used to describe Captain Sparrow, but there it was. He was an enigma.

"Oh! So it _is_ that you've found a girl," he spoke happily as he sat himself up. Just as quickly he leaned back to rest on his elbows and crossing his legs the ankles he basked in the knowledge that he'd be proven right. Well, I figured that was the look that he was going for anyway.

Captain Sparrow was the perfect picture of smug whilst he relaxed there on the floor. He was in complete contrast to Will whom stood with his shoulders hunched up so far that they practically touched his ears which were tipped red in obvious embarrassment. Whatever they've been talking about as they fought in the Blacksmith's was undoubtedly about Elizabeth. The fact that Will still refused to even glance at the pirate suggested that my theory was right.

All at once, the Captain's smug expression switched to that infuriating blank stare. There was the face that I couldn't read, the one that I didn't like. Why did he have to use it, and so effectively too?

"I see. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone mate…" he trailed off as he turned his blank stare towards me. "…or take the whelp with you. I see no profit in it for me," he finished with a shrug of his shoulders.

How dare he call me a 'whelp'! I was not a whelp. I didn't even know what it meant but I was sure that it wasn't a nice term. I stood up straight in response to his words and my growing anger which prompted a smirk from Captain Sparrow.

Damn. He was doing what I'd been trying to do to him – suss me out. I'd played right into his hands as well. He'd wanted a reaction and I gave him one. He knew that I was quite easily angered. Not good.

Eventually, his words beyond 'whelp' registered with me. He was looking for profit. I know that Will wouldn't be the one to offer him this, but maybe if I do, he'll go along with it. Would Captain Sparrow jump at the chance for his freedom? I was sure that he would. It's not like he was bursting with opportunities to break out of here – especially if the snapped bone in the lock was anything to go by.

I think I surprised him before giving him a chilling smirk in return.

"He can get you out of here," I finally said with a jerk of my head in Will's direction. I was also beginning to get really annoyed. This whole thing had gone on for long enough and I was tired of playing games. I was cranky and sleep deprived. The quicker that we got out of here, the quicker that we could get onto the Interceptor. Hopefully I'd be able to sleep – providing that my sea sickness doesn't keep me awake.

Both men raised their eyebrows at me in surprise.

"How's that? The key's run off." Captain Sparrow indicated with his head which direction the dog had disappeared to. Will however didn't say anything and kept looking at me. Whatever he was thinking it probably wasn't good and I'd need to brace myself for some questions coming my way. He was seeing me in a whole new light today. I was no longer the nice and highly – fake – recommended maid from England. I was a woman whom had blackmailed him and just offered to break a pirate out of prison. I could see him trying to put the two sides of me together.

Will finally stopped looking at me and spoke slowly whilst running his eyes over the framework of the cell.

"I helped build these cells." He pointed to the hinges on the door, smoothing his fingers over them. I moved off to the side as I realised that Will would be using the bench that I'd been sat on.

"These are half pin-barrel hinges…" like I'd predicted and just like in the movie, Will picked up the bench and wedges the legs into the bars of the cell door as he spoke. He did it so effortlessly, making it look as though the bench barely weighed anything.

"With the right leverage and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free."

He sounded as though he were talking to himself more than us. He smiled at Captain Sparrow as if to say, 'look what I'm dangling in front of you. Are you going to waste this chance of freedom?' Fair play to the man, he was going along with what I'd suggested and really rolled with it. I was impressed.

Watching the Captain's face transform once again was quite amusing to say the least. It went from that blank 'I will reveal nothing' face to blatant surprise before finally settling on curious. He then proceeded to stun myself and Will by doing the unexpected.

"What's your name?" he asked Will. Doing nothing to hide the surprise that now shone on my face, I wondered why he wasn't jumping to his feet at this very moment. Was he really willing to wait and miss his chance? No, the sly man knew that we needed him and his knowledge. Knowledge that he wouldn't part with even when he was out of the cell in case we decided to cut him out like the last person whom he shared too much with.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out his game. Why wasn't freedom enough profit for him? What more did he want? I was missing something here that was just out of my grasp.

Not being able to see Will' face, I could only guess that he was as shocked as me. If he pause before answering was anything to go by then I'd definitely made the right assumption. Eventually he gave in.

"Will Turner," he said warily.

Captain Sparrow sat up from his elbows, his face giving nothing away again as he nodded.

"That'd be short for William, I imagine. Good strong name," he finished quietly whilst looking down at his hands in his lap.

"No doubt a name for yer father, eh?"

How could I have been so forgetful? He definitely knew that it was a name for Will's father. Bootstrap Bill had sailed under Captain Sparrow on the Pearl. They'd said that there was a familial resemblance. Not that I'd be able to attest to that fact though since I'd never met Bootstrap Bill. He had been with Davy Jones's crew ever since Captain Sparrow had been marooned and since I wasn't here at that point in time; it really wasn't that much of a surprise.

The Captain wanted confirmation. This was his leverage for getting the Pearl back minus the curse. It looked like his plan – and multiple backups – were already ticking around his head. What I wasn't prepared for was for him to turn his attention to me once Will had given him the affirmation that he wanted, albeit suspiciously. Good. He needed to hold onto that suspicion. After all, Captain Sparrow was a pirate, and I would trust him about as far as I could throw him. Which wasn't far in the state that I was in, if at all, quite poetic really.

"And you?" The Captain spoke, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes a little. Keeping calm, I paused for a moment before answering. In the back of my head I was aware of just how little time we had left before the guards came running back, if they weren't already on their way, but I didn't want to share any more information than necessary. Mercifully, Will kept his mouth shut.

"That's nothing you need be concerned with, Captain Sparrow." I didn't bother changing my voice; after all, he'd already heard me speak when he'd coaxed a reaction out of me earlier. I could only hope that he still didn't recognise me.

Turns out that could have been the worst possible thing to have said. I watched in growing horror as I realised that my not wanting to tell him had only made him want to know even more. He gave a small, "hmm" and clicked his tongue against his teeth as he deliberated whether to press the issue now or leave it for another time.

As it was, he must have been just as aware of the passing time as me. Either that or he'd decided that my name wasn't that important when he had the man that he needed stood right in front of him offering him his freedom.

"Well Mr Turner, Whelp, I've changed me mind," Captain Sparrow eventually said. It was looking like I was stuck with the nickname now. At least until he found out my true identity. I wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer. I could only hope that it'd last until we made it to the Interceptor. If not, then I was going to have to think on me feet, and fast.

"If you two spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?"

He fixed each of us with a look before facing Will and directing the last parts to him. As soon as he looked away, I narrowed my eyes at him. He didn't mention anything about them getting back safely, only that he'd take us to Elizabeth.

I didn't really care about me, as long as I got what I needed and got out of there as quickly as possible – preferably before all of the fighting started – then I wasn't all that bothered about his promise. What I was bothered about was the welfare of those that I'd come to consider friends. I had to keep reassuring myself that they'll be ok. After certain events I was still extremely shaken up and had vowed to do more to help in any way I could. If this meant going up against the pirate then so be it.

Captain Sparrow thrust his hand through the bars and Will reluctantly grabbed it, shaking firmly once.

"Agreed," he muttered enthusiastically. He must have been happy that we were finally making progress and he was one step closer to getting his beloved Elizabeth back. I was just happy that we were getting out of here at last.

The Captain turned to look at me again, waggling his hand as a suggestion that I should shake it. I made no move to touch him and stayed where I was, letting the shadows keep distorting my facial features. I wasn't that stupid. If I moved out of them he'd recognise me for sure. After all, it was only yesterday, and I'd like to think that I was somewhat memorable. I settled on giving him a nod and parroting Will.

"Agreed."

Captain Sparrow smirked slightly at my lack of movement. I got the sense that he knew exactly what I was doing.

"Agreed, get me out!" He vigorously spoke, motioning with both arms for Will to lift the cell door free. I braced myself for the noise.

Will gave a groan as he place all of his weight onto the bench and forced the end that was sticking up towards the floor. The cell door screeched upwards in protest to the force. Just like he'd predicted, it lifted free. Will caught it and flung it unceremoniously to the side. I rolled my eyes. Idiot. If he'd just placed it down it wouldn't have made so much noise! Now we were in a worse situation than before. If the guard wasn't on his way back, he definitely would be now. And if not him, then someone else would be.

Will clearly thought so too as he hurried motioned to the pirate to get out of the cell.

"Hurry, someone will have heard that."

Captain Sparrow practically pranced out.

"Not without my effects!" He declared whilst bounding over and grabbing them from the wall where they were hung. Giving him a moment with his beloved hat, I motioned for Will to start climbing the stairs. He followed my direction, no questions asked.

From where I was stood, the Captain was between me and the stairs. That worked out quite well, it was almost like I'd planned it that way. Kind of wish I had, but I rolled with it anyway and brought up the rear as the pirate raced up them two at a time. At least this way neither of them would see my pained face unless then turned back.

It was excruciating trying to keep pace with the two men but now really wasn't the time for complaining. We were relying on speed and stealth to get us out.

Will and I had adopted a 'solve one problem at a time' kind of mentality without really realising. I hadn't given any thought to just how we'd make it back through the courtyard with a known fugitive. I suppose Will and I now fit into that category as well, if not now, then definitely in others eyes as soon as they find out that we freed Captain Sparrow.

We'd made it to the last corridor before the courtyard until trouble found us. It came in the form of two voices bickering near to the entrance, just round the corner from where the three of us had frozen.

"Just who was it that you spoke too?"

"I don't know sir, never met 'em before!"

"And you thought to just let them in?"

"Well, they knew your name, Sir."

It sounded like Ladock and the guard we'd fooled have finally begun making their way back to the cells. It wouldn't be long before they found the three of us. I looked frantically around, searching for a place to hide but there wasn't anywhere. We were stuck in a long narrow corridor. Our only hope was that one of the many doors would be unlocked and empty.

Running up to the nearest door, I started jiggling the handle. Locked. I gave a sigh of frustration and moved onto the next one, noting out of the corner of my eye that the two men had followed my lead and were trying other doors without my luck.

I could hear the footsteps coming closer. Any minute now they'd be upon us. Every door I tried was locked. I was close to tears again. I couldn't fail now.

Just as I had about resigned myself to facing the gallows, Captain Sparrow found a door that opened and thrust me and Will inside before pulling it closed. Stumbling in over the uneven flag stones, I caught myself on the back wall. There wasn't a window in this small room. Closet was probably a better word to describe it. As soon as the Captain pulled the door closed we were thrust into darkness.

Will was pressed up against my side, Captain Sparrow pressed up against my front. We were nice and cosy, that was for sure. I could scarcely breathe for fear of getting caught. Neither could Will from the sound of it. The pirate on the other hand seemed perfectly at ease once again. I guess he'd be used to this, running and hiding for his life. It'd be difficult not too if you're a branded fugitive. Didn't he ever get tired of running away? Actually, I suppose sailing away would be more appropriate.

All of us listened intently, waiting for the footsteps to pass and move away before we dared to think of leaving the cramped space. The bickering continued as the guards moved further down the hallway. Poor guy, I hoped that he wouldn't be disciplined too severely for his mistake.

Captain Sparrow pushed open the door – letting in a little sliver of light – so that he could see if the two guards had left the corridor. He turned back to us, and I was sure that he was about to say that the coast was clear when he looked directly at me. Whatever he was about to say was lost. Instead a slow smirk graced his lips and his eyes lit up in recognition.

"That's very interesting," he whispered to himself. Damn. We were so close and combined with the light now filtering through the little closet he was able to see who I was.

Huffing, I barged past him and burst out into the empty corridor. Now that they'd passed us we really needed to get a move on. We didn't have time to waste with him stalling and making little comments that wouldn't get us anywhere. I could deal with this later, when we weren't surrounded by men with guns who wouldn't hesitate to use them. At least I had my priorities straight.

I set off at a slow jog to the entrance that led out into the courtyard, not turning back to see if Will and Captain Sparrow were following me. I didn't need to see, when I could hear them. Stealth was very much so not in either of the men's repertoires.

The entrance into the courtyard was laid out like a porch. As long as we stayed hidden behind one of the supporting pillars, nobody would be able to know that we were there. From our vantage point, I was able to see the whole courtyard. Immediately I wished that I couldn't.

Forcing my emotions down at the sight of all the dead bodies laid in a row – there were more now than when I'd first arrived here - I tried to focus on finding a way out of here that wouldn't result in any of us being caught.

Frantically I looked around at all of the possible exits. Preferably we wanted to leave out of the one that was closest to the docks. Either way, all of them led into Port Royal so I guess it didn't really matter which one we went through, so long as we got through. Unfortunately, security had really been stepped up. There were multiple guards at every exit.

How on Earth were we going to make it through? It's not like we could just walk out. Well, Will and I probably could, but Captain Sparrow definitely couldn't. Everything about him screamed pirate, especially those teeth. They'd take one look at him and take him straight back to prison to wait to be hanged.

Too my left underneath a wall that had been damaged by cannon fire was a wheelbarrow. It looked as though it'd been used to start clearing away rubble. Wildly, I looked around for something else, anything else. Nothing jumped out at me. Perhaps this was the way to go. An idea so wild might just actually work.

"I have a plan, stay here." I rushed out, not taking my eyes off the wheelbarrow. Darting out, I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. On my way to retrieve the wheelbarrow, I snagged a white sheet that was being used to cover a body. I didn't look at who I'd taken it from. I already hated myself for doing it; I didn't need another person to haunt me. My self-preservation had won out over my respect and I knew that it was going to take a while to come to terms with my actions today. However, I needed it more than the dead at that moment. I was just lucky in that there wasn't anyone milling about on this side to see my terrible actions, I kind of wish that there had been.

The wheelbarrow was larger than I thought and was quite heavy. Lifting it strained my back and I prayed that my wound wouldn't reopen as I pushed it back to where Will and Captain Sparrow where hopefully still waiting for me. The last thing that I needed was having to explain why my top was stained scarlet with my blood, and there was no way that I was going to wander around in my skimpy pyjama top in Port Royal. I'd be locked up for indecency.

Elation filled me when I returned to find them both still there waiting for me. I'd fully expected Captain Sparrow to run off and Will to pursue him, leaving me here on my own. Both men eyed the wheelbarrow and white sheet. Captain Sparrow was looking far too amused for my liking. I guess he'd figured out what I was planning, and he liked the idea. At least that meant that he'd go along with it. Will on the other hand was looking rather apprehensive. If he'd not figured out what I wanted to do, he had another thing coming.

"Get in," I demanded the pirate once I'd placed the wheelbarrow down, my back screeching in protest. He smirked infuriatingly at me again but complied wordlessly, settling in with his boots sticking out one end. It was just large enough for his head and upper body to fit in if he hunched over a bit. He'd be uncomfortable for a short while, but it'd be worth it if this actually works.

"Care to join me, love?" He asked. I didn't rise to his baiting. Instead I spread out the white sheet and dumped it unceremoniously on top of him, making sure that his head was fully covered. There was nothing to be done about his boots. We'd just have to hope that nobody would stop us.

Will scowled at the Captain's suggestiveness towards me. My heart melted a little at his sweetness. The cat-calling and lewdness of some men that I'd been subjected to in the street was definitely something that I hadn't missed from my time. Will's obvious discomfort with the pirate's forwardness was a refreshing change, and I liked it.

"Don't move." I warned him as I spread the sheet out, making it so that it wasn't resting entirely on his body. If I wrapped it tight, it'd be obvious that he was breathing. The whole point was to pass him off as a dead body.

"Yes Ma'am," Captain Sparrow muttered cheekily. I rolled my eyes at his response. At least my eyes would be getting a good work out even if the rest of my body wasn't. Saying that, since arriving here I think I've been in the best shape I've ever been, back and head wound aside. The lack of fast food had really been a big help.

Will finally understood what was about to happen and gently moved me aside to pick up the wheelbarrow. Thank God. I would not have been able to lift it with Captain Sparrow in. I struggled as it was when it was empty!

Without being told, he adopted an anguished expression to match my own. It felt like every time I blinked I saw Mr Ainsworth laid in a pool of his own blood, cold eyes glaring up at me as such I didn't need to adopt an expression that had become a permanent resident on my face.

Slowly, we approached the gate that had the shortest distance to the dock. So far, everybody had ignored us on our little fake funeral march. They were all too busy mourning their own dead. My heart went out to every person that we passed. True to his word, Captain Sparrow didn't so much as twitch a muscle underneath the white sheet. Even I could almost believe that he wasn't alive.

I held my breath as we got to the gate. Guards were stationed at either side of the exit and a brief flash of a red coat told me that there was possibly another one – maybe even two - stood on the outside as well. The danger factor had increased beyond what I'd originally thought. I sped up a little, Will almost simultaneously doing the same, when I realised that Ladock and that other guard must certainly have discovered the empty cell by now.

Luckily a swarm of people were leaving at that moment and we passed the two inside guards without them saying anything. I let out the breath that I'd been holding. Glancing up as we passed under the gatehouse, a shiver ran through my spine at the sight of the large iron portcullis. Its spikes were sinisterly sharp. One wrong move and they'd be sent shooting down, hindering our escape. My eyes were beginning to water from both the lack of oxygen and from what I'd seen. I needed to hold it together; I couldn't lose my nerve now.

The wheelbarrow rattled along the pavement and my heartbeat was thudding in my ears. Every noise seemed to be exemplified the closer we got to freedom. We just had to pass the next couple of guards and we'd be free to run off and steal the Interceptor.

Coming out the other side, I noticed that there was only the one guard like I'd suspected. This one however, didn't seem too happy with us leaving. He strode right in front of the wheelbarrow to stop us. Will nearly caught the man's shins with Captain Sparrow's feet.

I was tensed up, ready to run if need be. Next to me, I felt Will doing the same. It wasn't looking good right now. We'd made it out of the gatehouse, so running was our best option if I couldn't talk our way out of this one.

Eyeing his gun warily, I waited for him to speak.

"What are you doing? All dead are to be taken to the main courtyard," he spoke sternly, one hand on his gun, the other on his hip. I prayed that Captain Sparrow or Will wouldn't do anything stupid.

Regarding Will's panic stricken expression, I knew that I'd have to jump in quick otherwise he'd end up blowing the whole thing, and I really didn't fancy running right now. My eyes were already teary from everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, and I'm sure that the huge bags under my eyes from my sleep deprivation really added to the whole grieving aesthetic.

I stepped a little closer to the guard, prompting him to look at me. So far, he'd only been concerned with Will and the wheelbarrow harbouring a fugitive pirate, not that he knew that little fact.

"Please, Sir." I cleared my throat and tried again to deepen my voice suddenly remembering that I was supposed to be passing for a male.

"Please, Sir, let us through."

At his indignant look, I rushed to carry on.

"Ma's not well, Sir. Doctor says she won't last the day. She wants to see Johnny here before she goes, Sir. He died here, fighting against them pirates. Let us help her say a proper goodbye?" My Yorkshire accent slipped out whilst I was trying to deepen my voice. I let a few tears trickle down my cheeks for good measure, and scrubbed them away as though I was embarrassed to be crying. I watched in growing apprehension as Captain Sparrow jerked slightly under the sheet he was covered with. Luckily, I seemed to be the only one who had noticed the slight movement. The idiot was probably laughing right now.

Will, bless him who was doing so well at following my lead today, looked as mournful as he possibly could and nodded when he felt it appropriate. It was a good job that this guard didn't recognise Will as the Blacksmith's apprentice because this could have gone down very differently. It was common knowledge around here how Will had come to Port Royal. His tragic back story had been gossiped about for years and how he was fortunate enough to have come across Governor Swann and his generosity. I was more surprised that they didn't recognise him in all honesty.

The guard didn't say anything but I could tell that he was extremely uncomfortable with the turn of events. Whatever he'd been expecting, it definitely wasn't the lie I'd come up with. I was quite impressed with myself for my quick thinking though, especially since I was so tired. I'd have bet my life that he was regretting stopping us now. He shifted on his feet awkwardly.

"Please," I implored again. "Let us take 'im back." I scrubbed away some more rouge tears with one hand and grasped my satchel strap firmly.

His resolve broke. Stepping to the side – and out of our way – he waved his hand in the direction of the main town.

"Go on, I'd want someone to do the same for me. Just come straight back." Running his free hand down his face resignedly, he turned away from us and took up his original position next to the gate.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Sir!" I breathed out in relief.

Will elbowed me in the ribs, accidentally winding me.

"Don't overdo it," he whispered. Immediately, I shut my mouth, and with one last grateful glance at the generous guard, we were on our way.

We set off at a rapid pace feeling the need to put some distance between us and the fort, but not so rapid as too look suspicious to the guard who'd let us go. My heart beat was still going a mile a minute; I was surprised that I hadn't gone into cardiac arrest.

When we were finally a safe distance away from the main gate and had turned around a couple of corners just for good measure to make sure that nobody was following us, Will pulled off into an alleyway. Almost as soon as he'd dropped the handles of the wheelbarrow, Captain Sparrow jumped out and stretched his stiff muscles.

"That was entertaining," he exclaimed looking pointedly at me as he rubbed his hands together. He had a rather alarming look about him that screamed he wanted more dangerous excitement. I think I was more weary of this side of him, than I was of the blank unreadable face.

"Good work, Whelp. Or was it Miss Fenn?" Unfortunately, I couldn't hold in my blush of embarrassment. He chuckled at my reaction eliciting a scowl from me. It only made him chuckle even more.

"Now, let's go save your bonny lass, Mr Turner." No sooner had he spoke, he turned around on one leg, and gallivanted off in the direction of the beach. Will and I shared a look and sighed before chasing after him.

It was definitely going to be a struggle keeping up with the pirate in more ways than one.

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Phew, this chapter was a longish one. I really enjoyed writing this, and I'm pretty sure it's because of Jack. I was blown away by your responses to last weeks chapter and just want to thank everybody for their kind words! I'm so grateful that you're all enjoying this and taking some time to review and let me know, so thank you. Until next time x


	11. An Impressive Idea

"We're going to steal the ship," Will stated, looking at the Dauntless floating far out in the bay.

"That ship?" He questioned, pointing at it, drawing my attention away from the slimy walls of the underside of the bridge.

We'd managed to make it down to the docks without being seen. There'd been a few close calls but nothing that some quick hiding hadn't been able to solve. I also suspected that it helped immensely that word hadn't spread about Captain Sparrow's great escape. My guess was that the Commodore hadn't wanted it to be common knowledge due to a fear of it being career suicide. Everybody would have turned on him, especially because he let a pirate escape barely hours after an intense raid. It wasn't exactly what you'd call good publicity, particularly if he wanted to further his career. The Commodore struck me as a very ambitious man.

I grimaced as I felt my socks start to get wet inside my boots. Unfortunately it was something that I was just going to have to deal with, it's not like I had the perfect opportunity to take them off right now. They were essential and I didn't plan on leaving them behind and walking bare footed everywhere. I'd probably end up with tetanus or something equally as bad.

"Commandeer." Captain Sparrow unnecessarily corrected Will.

"We're going to commandeer that ship," he finished with a gesture at the Interceptor floating not too far away. It was being loaded with supplies, men running up and down the dock with barrels and crates, as we spied on them from our little hideaway under the bridge.

Glancing back at Will's confused expression, I clarified for him. "Nautical term, it pretty much means the same thing as steal only instead of doing it stealthily, you use force."

Captain Sparrow turned to me with a surprised expression that matched Will's. Evidently neither of them had expected me to know a single thing about sailing, which in all fairness to them, I didn't. I wasn't a sailing expert, and most definitely not one from this time period. I was merely educated.

The Captain didn't say anything whilst he was looking at me, eyes narrowed. I got the feeling that he was re-evaluating his judgement of me. As such, I tried to keep my face as expressionless as possible. I didn't want to be an open book. If he learnt how to read me I'd never find out how to free Calypso. He'd know every time that I tried to pry answers from him or if I wasn't truthful. Will, however, just nodded his head slowly in understanding.

Captain Sparrow slid his gaze to Will who stood just in front of me.

"One question about your business, or there's no use going." He paused as his eyes darted between the both of us. Whatever he was going to say included me.

"This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"

"I'd die for her," Will replied instantly.

Wincing at the unintentional reminder of Mr Ainsworth, I school my face back into what I hoped was a neutral expression.

I would have been shocked if Will had hesitated when answering. He really did feel that strongly for Elizabeth. To me however, that came off as quite an extreme answer, I definitely wouldn't go that far. She was lovely and all but I have a home to get back to. I couldn't die here. Feeling that if I was to say anything on the contrary to Will, I'd be left behind, I hesitated whilst formulating my answer.

Captain Sparrow picked up on my hesitation and placed some more pressure on me.

"What about you, luv? Are yer sure yer willing to brave the seas and risk yer life for this Miss Swann?"

I knew what he was doing as soon as he spoke. His whole posture and expression gave him away. He was testing me. Getting the feeling that he didn't believe I would be brave enough to do this – my long pause before answering probably didn't help in getting rid of that – I drew myself up as tall as I could and met his gaze steadily.

"If you're trying to scare me, Captain Sparrow, it won't work." I said primly. Giving a meaningful nod in Will's direction, I finished speaking.

"What he said. I'd die for her." Lies. I was lying through my teeth and I didn't even think twice about it. It was becoming pretty uncomfortable for me to come to terms with how easily I'd adapted to lying since being here. It certainly wasn't something that I was proud of.

Will nodded, believing every single word I said. He'd already witnessed just how far I was willing to go by being on the receiving end of my blackmail back at the prison, so I shouldn't really have been all that surprised by his reaction. Captain Sparrow, though, raised an eyebrow whilst appraising me once more before giving a sharp nod. I must have passed his test, whatever it was.

"Oh good, no worries then," he muttered, turning back to survey our surroundings. Suspecting that he was forming his ridiculous plan with the boat which I still wasn't entirely convinced would work, I settled myself against the cool brick – damp seeping into my shirt on my shoulder – feeling utterly exhausted. Everything was catching up to me now that we'd stopped moving but I knew that the day was far from being over yet. I wasn't exactly feeling up to struggling to walk under water and commandeering a ship but needs must.

If I could power through this and hopefully push myself to the point of complete exhaustion then maybe I'll sleep through some of the inevitable seasickness.

"Miss Fenn?" I hadn't realised that my eyes were closed until Will addressed me.

"Arabella, please," I retorted without opening my eyes. They were far too heavy to bother opening for something as menial as talking. Besides, it served a purpose for me in showing just how fed up I was with the eighteenth century etiquette. It was far too stifling for me and I was constantly tripping over my words trying to make sure that I addressed somebody in the right way.

Not being in any mood to even maintain an intent of upholding it, nor did I see any reason too since we'd helped spring a pirate from jail, I hoped that Will would drop it as well.

"Arabella," he tried again. It must have been important since he'd actually listened to me. Surprised, I opened my eyes and looked at him. He had turned round to face me fully, keeping his back to the pirate.

"I must insist on you staying here. You saw what those pirates did last night." Will carried on, heedless of my obviously flinch at another reminder.

"This is more than likely going to be dangerous," he finished, face softening a little in sympathy for me. His words, though harsh, were truthful. I knew full well what I was getting into, more so than he did, which was very ironic to say the least, but I couldn't let him try and talk me into staying. I needed this to stop now before it became something bigger and ended up with him forcefully making me stay.

"Don't you see that's why I need to do this?" I implored. The best lies always told a half truth, I'd found.

"I don't feel safe here anymore." Truth. "Besides, I made a promise to serve Lizzy when I took the job posting." Lie. "For as long as she's still alive and needs me, I'll be there, even if it means sailing the entire ocean to find her." Half truth. I'd be sailing to find her, but only so far as Captain Sparrow goes, and until I get the information that I need.

It did go deeper than that, of course. Consciously, I was aware of my own survivor's guilt and a small part of me wanted revenge for what the pirates stole from me through their hideous acts. I was never going to get that innocence back. In fact, by the time that this mission of mine was over, I'd probably witness more death. It wasn't something that I'd come to terms with yet, and I really didn't want it to happen but I was no longer naïve enough to think that I'd go home from this completely unchanged. Witnessing what I saw was going to stay with me not only in this time but my original time too.

As such, I'd made a small promise to myself that I'd do whatever I could to help out those in need, which I'd somehow equated at this point as helping to get Elizabeth back to Port Royal safely. If I could do this then maybe the guilt wouldn't be so difficult to live with. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't keep tearing at my insides. There really was no wonder as to why I was so emotionally drained; I had all of this battering away at my head as well as an unknown time limit, the deadline of which was a hurricane that I probably wouldn't survive if I became caught in it. My life was officially way more complicated than it had once been and I longed for my dull and mundane job back home at the bar.

Will mulled over the intensity of my words but I could see that they didn't really have the effect that I'd wanted. He was going to try and stop me from coming despite being moved by what I'd said. I really did think that appealing to his more sensitive side and using Elizabeth would have worked. Unfortunately he still had the old fashioned – to me anyway – way of thinking installed. It would take something momentous to shake away that kind of conditioning. Perhaps something like getting Lizzy back would help, but in the mean time I could see that Will and I were not going to see eye to eye. He'd hold my choice against me.

Captain Sparrow must have been eavesdropping on our conversation, not that it would have been too difficult for him since we were all stood quite close together, and he cut in before Will could argue his case back at me. He clapped Will none to gently on his shoulder and muttered in his ear quietly so that the guards crossing the bridge above us wouldn't hear.

"We need her mate, can't sail outta 'ere with just the two of us, savvy?" I scowled a little bit at this being his reasoning but I had to admit it was a clever play. Appealing to Will's side of desperation and hinting that rescuing Elizabeth would be damn near impossible was smart and I was a bit gutted that I hadn't thought of that first.

Will realised the implications of what Captain Sparrow was inferring very quickly and reluctantly nodded in spite of his dislike at my accompanying them. In a way, it was sweet of him. I was an unmarried woman in her prime about to go gallivanting off with a pirate without a proper chaperone. I suspected that he was trying to protect my reputation and if I'd been from here I would have been flattered and probably would have agreed to stay behind. After all, reputation was everything to this society. Since I wasn't from here however, and now didn't have as strict of a cover to maintain, I really did not care, harsh as that may be.

"Excellent, now that's settled, I have a plan." Captain Sparrow said excitedly, grinning like a kid in a sweet shop. I smirked back at him, knowing exactly what was coming. I'd been preparing myself for it since we left the Fort behind. Will however looked between us warily, sensing that he had been left out of the loop. He hadn't but I could see how it looked that way.

The more of his plan that the Captain divulged the ore concerned Will's expression became. He looked downright stricken at the thought of being stuck underwater with just a boat to breathe in. Reluctantly, I mirrored his expression. I too, was having doubts about that part. What if we didn't have enough air to breathe? What if it didn't work at all? There was absolutely no way that I could swim all the way over to the Dauntless underwater, and I'd be seen if I started rowing a boat. It'd raise more questions. Unfortunately, Captain Sparrow's idea was the only one that I could see somewhat working, despite how mad it was.

The Captain clapped his hands together and then rubbed them excitedly as if preparing himself for an enjoyable adventure. Looking at both of us he let his plan sink in fully before speaking.

"Right then, who's first?" He questioned of us. I was surprised that he hadn't just made a run for it down the beach to the rowing boat, thinking that we'd follow him. Perhaps by offering for one of us to go first, he was trying to prove that we could trust him.

To nobody's surprise, Will volunteered straight away. I think it was more to get away from the uncomfortable atmosphere that now surrounded us since our civil disagreement than actual want to be first.

Captain Sparrow clapped him on the back again supportively this time before suddenly pushing him out from under the bridge. Gasping, I held my hands over my mouth as I watched Will stumble before nimbly darting along the beach and ducking down behind a stack of lobster crates. They weren't the best thing that could be used as camouflage but you'd only really be able to tell he was there if you looked hard enough.

While he was waiting for some fishermen to pass him on the beach, I turned my body towards Captain Sparrow but kept a sharp eye on Will, making sure that he wasn't going to get into any trouble.

"That wasn't very nice of you, you know. He could have gotten caught," I murmured.

"Aye, but he didn't." Jack retorted just as quietly.

I offered a hum as a response and said no more. I hoped that he wouldn't do that to me; I wouldn't be as graceful as Will and would probably end up falling and getting a face full of sand and broken shells.

"What's with the get up anyway luv? Trying something new?" He gestured to my outfit.

Bristling a little at his comment, I chose not to comment and pulled the hat lower down over my eyes. I didn't owe him answers anyway. Turning away from him, I focused again on Will who had just made it to the overturned rowing boat and was sliding underneath it.

Seeing that Will had made it unimpeded, Captain Sparrow motioned for me to go next, not taking any offence to my sudden less than chatty mood. I narrowed my eyes at him trying to see if he was planning anything.

"I'll wait for the next opportunity. Go on," he urged whilst the coast was still clear. I remained rooted to the spot.

"You'll have to forgive me for not trusting you, Captain Sparrow. After all, you are a pirate. How about we go together?" He chuckled at my response, not denying anything that I'd stated before accepting that going together would be a good option.

It'd be riskier, two going in the place of one. There would be more of us to see if somebody happened to walk by at the wrong moment. If I was seen with the pirate, they wouldn't hesitate to shoot me as well as him. They wouldn't care so long as Captain Sparrow was incapacitated.

As it was, I needn't have worried. We both ducked out from under the bridge and ran all the way to the overturned rowing boat without anybody walking past. My satchel at first had started bouncing heavily on my hip, making a loud noise which prompted me to hold onto it with both hands. Stealth was important; I couldn't be running around noisily. The Captain had turned to me gratefully when I stopped the noise, giving away that he was a little bit worried about being caught too.

Captain Sparrow crouched down next to me and lifted the rowing boat just high enough for me to duck inside. Snorting, in an extremely unladylike fashion, at the sight of Will laid out flat on his back, blinking away the sudden brightness, I felt a shove on my back, tipping me over and causing me to land on Will's legs. Not a moment later, the Captain had ducked in too and dropped the rowing boat, settling us all in darkness.

Apologising in a slight whisper to Will, I managed to manoeuvre myself into the middle with Captain Sparrow in front of me and Will now crouching behind me. All at once, I heard the guard's effects rattling against their bodies as they jogged by the boat. If the Captain hadn't pushed me in when he had, we'd definitely have been caught. My heart was racing from the adrenaline. I was hopeful that I wasn't the only one.

The rowing boat was just large enough for me to crouch quite comfortably underneath. Will and Captain Sparrow however, were probably struggling a little. They were a lot taller than me. Behind me I could hear Will complaining to himself about the lack of space. I didn't have any sympathy for him. He could suck it up and deal with it if he wanted any chance at getting Elizabeth back. I rolled my eyes at his moaning and tried to ignore it.

Every so often, Captain Sparrow peeked under the brim of the boat to see if it was safe for us to walk towards the water. Even though we were going under the dock to the Interceptor, we still didn't want to take any chances of not being seen.

"Couldn't you have chosen a bigger boat?" Will asked scathingly.

"Did you have a better idea?" Captain Sparrow shot back.

When he didn't get an answer, he sarcastically continued.

"Didn't think so. If this is going to work, just do as I say."

I'm not sure what it is about cramped spaces that just rile people up. Maybe it's the fact that we're all in each other's personal space or it's just too uncomfortable for them. Either way, being stuck under the boat caused some bickering that I didn't want to be a part of.

Figuring that Will had a cowed expression and was probably sulking at that moment, I left them both to stew in silence. It was their silly argument over something so trivial that I was almost speechless at the stupidity of it.

Sighing in disappointment at the both of them, I tried to ignore the tingling that was starting in my legs. They were beginning to go dead from being crouched down for so long.

Luckily I didn't have to wait for too long. Another group of guards ran past, heading towards the Interceptor. As the jangling from their effects faded away, Captain Sparrow whispered a firm, "move."

Lifting the boat as one on our backs, we shuffled towards the tide, keeping down as low as we could. A yelp escaped my lips as the weight settled against my wound between my shoulders. Thankfully, neither of the men could see my face because there was absolutely no way I'd be able to hide just how much pain I was in at that moment. The pressure was intense.

By the time we'd reached the tide, the pain had settled again into a dull throb that I could cope with. As we splashed through the water I also realised that there wasn't as much weight on my back. Without my realising, Captain Sparrow and Will had raised themselves and the rowing boat upwards to help me. Smiling a little at their thoughtfulness, I carried on, keeping my pain complaints to myself.

"Are you alright?" I heard Will whisper behind me, only just loud enough over the ocean lapping at our calves.

"Yes, I'm fine." I hissed between my teeth. Even though there was less of a weight, the boat was still on my back.

This was a lot harder than I actually thought it would be which was saying something. With every step I took, my foot sank into the sand and it was even harder to get it out. It felt like I had suction cups stuck to the bottom of my boots. Walking through water wasn't any easier. Our movements became lethargic as we fought against the tide.

As soon as the water reached our waists – their waists, my ribs – Will and Captain Sparrow grabbed onto the brim of the boat and pulled it down so that it was just under the water and created a pocket of air for us to breathe in.

My clothes were beginning to really weigh me down. It was hard work moving in them, especially the heavy boots, and my breathing was becoming laboured. I blushed in embarrassment as the sound echoed around our little space. Reassuringly though, Will and the Captain didn't sound to be fairing any better.

A sudden sharp slant came out of nowhere. Not expecting it, we let in a little bit more water, making our breathing space smaller. Hissing in pain as the salt water finally seeped through to my cut, I let go of the boat entirely.

Sadly, in my worry I'd forgotten about my satchel and it floated around me in the water. All of my food would most likely be ruined by now, particularly the cheese. Sighing in disappointment at my forgetfulness, I ploughed on.

By now I was struggling to keep my mouth above the water. The only way that I could manage it was by walking on my tiptoes. Why did the Captain and Will have to be so tall? Their heads and even the Captain's shoulders were out of the water. It wasn't fair.

Glancing around me – it's not every day that I get to walk underwater like this, I wanted to try and make the most of it since it was actually working – I noticed that the arms of both men were straining to hold onto the boat. I wasn't too surprised, it made sense. With all of the oxygen under here with us, the boat will be working against them to try and float to the surface. I was amazed however, that they'd managed to make it so far without letting go.

"This is either madness or brilliance," Will finally spoke, his voice distorted and echoing around our small space. Twitching I tried not to speak. How could he be so stupid as to talk and use up more of our small supply of oxygen?

Captain Sparrow shrugged his shoulders as best as he could before replying.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," he finished by looking at me over his shoulder. I knew exactly what he was thinking of – my impromptu plan and performance back at the Fort. That had been one of my crazier ideas and I was still shocked that it actually worked.

Panicking a little and more than moody because of how tired I was I finally snapped.

"Will the both you please shut up? I'd rather not run out of oxygen and die down here, thanks."

My snappiness stunned them both into silence. It was only broken a little while later by Will's foot crunching through a wooden lobster cage, the sound barely audible to us. I looked at Captain Sparrow whose shoulder's where shaking with laughter. Shaking my head at his childishness, I tried to fan my face so that I could cool down a bit. The air was becoming uncomfortably warm down here.

The closer that we got to the Dauntless, the wearier I became. I was going to struggling climbing up the ship. Perhaps I could swim to the Interceptor? No, that was a bad idea, there was no way that I could tread water for however long it took for the Interceptor to make her way over to the Dauntless, and even then, I'd have to somehow climb onto a moving ship.

I was so busy musing to myself over my predicament that I wasn't prepared for the gulp of water that made its way down my throat. I immediately clung onto Captain Sparrow's shoulders in a bid to keep my head above the water and tried to cough up what I'd swallowed. The salt water was disgusting.

"Sorry luv," the Captain murmured, looking at me to make sure that I was alright. I gave him the stink eye and then looked down to see what had happened.

There nestled on the seabed, wedged on a large rock, was the anchor for the Dauntless. Captain Sparrow clearly hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings either. He must have stumbled over the anchor and caused more water to encroach on our breathing space.

"It may not have occurred to you both, but I'm a lot shorter than you." I said to the both of them whilst keeping my head above the water by way of holding onto the pirate's shoulders.

"We noticed," he muttered to himself. I was pretty sure that I wasn't supposed to hear that so I chose not to comment on it.

Now that we'd reached the Dauntless, I breathed a sigh of relief. Soon we'd be back above the water and able to breathe in as much fresh air as we want. I couldn't wait. Will took the opportunity to try and detach his foot from the lobster crate.

"We're gonna be needing that rope, mate," Captain Sparrow spoke to Will without turning around. "Try not to lose it and the both yer, hold yer breath now," he warned.

Without any hesitation – I had just enough time to draw in a large breath and to close my eyes – he let go of the boat and placed his hands over mine and moving them onto what I suspected was the chain of the anchor. Opening my eyes – the salt water really stung at first - I saw Captain Sparrow using the chain to help him in the right direction, following it up towards the ship.

Feeling the need to breathe, I scrambled to follow him upwards and caught up surprisingly quick, not even checking to see if Will was following me.

Bursting out just behind the Dauntless, I gasped for breath. It felt amazing breathing in the fresh Caribbean air, especially after being stuck down at the bottom of the ocean with nothing but stuffy warm air. Pushing some of the sodden hair that had escaped my hat back underneath, I noticed Will bobbing up a short distance away from us. He must have drifted over because of the barrel that his rope was attached to. Quickly he swam over to meet Captain Sparrow and I.

The sheer size of the Dauntless well and truly hit me when I glanced up at it. I could definitely see why they gave her that name. Even at water level she was majestic and a little bit scary, perhaps even more so. My eyes roamed over the entire stern of the ship. The more that I noticed, like the incredibly craftsmanship, the more I agreed that she was appropriately named. I was beginning to feel a little insignificant compared to it.

"How do we get from here, to up there?" I questioned, voice sounding far too breathy for my liking. Treading water was more intense than I remembered it being, probably because I'd only ever done this in a swimming costume and not fully clothed. I knew that some climbing would be involved, but I had absolutely no idea how we'd get past the overhang to the first balcony.

I looked over at my companions when I didn't get a reply. Captain Sparrow was too busy trying to free Will's foot from the lobster cage. I huffed and just let them get on with it. If I wasn't worthy of an answer then I was just going to ignore them both. I was now well into the petty and proper mardy stage of my tiredness. It'd probably be for the best if they left me well alone and I didn't speak. I'd only make myself more mardy at this point.

Once Will's foot was finally freed, the Captain swam with the cage and climbed up the anchor chain. Making sure that he was balanced, he began wrapping the rope and the cage around what I think was called the rudder. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to work very well with that wrapped securely around it.

Putting one end of the rope in his mouth he turned to face the ship and to my surprise jumped backwards. At the very last minute his hands shot out and he caught himself on a little ledge just at the bottom of the overhang before it starting sloping inwards. How did he manage that? His move filled me with trepidation. There was absolutely no way that I'd make that jump. I just didn't have long enough legs; besides, I was nowhere near as practiced at this as he was.

My bottom jaw dropped open as Will and I watched Captain Sparrow scale the stern of the ship with impressive dexterity. He had definitely done this before.

"I'm not sure I can do that," I murmured to Will as the Captain swung himself onto the lowest balcony and started securing the ropes through the rails.

"Well, you go first, and that way I'll be right behind you just in case something happens," he replied logically.

Nodding, I tried to psych myself up. He'd reassured me a little but I still had doubts swirling in the back of my mind telling me that I couldn't do this, that I didn't stand a chance, particularly with the pain in my back and my pitiful arm strength.

Realising that it would be better to just get it over and done with, I took the same path as Captain Sparrow, climbing up the anchor chain to the rudder. Once I'd made it there though, I came to truly appreciate just how big a jump it was to that ledge. The only way I was going to make it was being doing some kind of tightrope act with the rope that he'd secured.

Praying that it would take my weight, I tentatively stepped one foot onto it. Immediately, my foot sank down a couple of feet, making me lose my balance. I was forced to grab a hold of the rope that had now tightened into a vertical position. Swinging a little, I tried to steady my breathing and focus on what I was doing. For this to work, I had to carefully shuffle my way along the rope trying not to lose my balance. Eventually I reached the ledge at the start of the overhang.

Shakily unclenching my hand from its death grip around the rope, I reached out and grabbed onto the ledge pulling myself upwards. Now that I was dangling in mid-air, I was really beginning to panic, the only thing keeping me sane was Will instructing me quietly on where to put my legs and my hands. Without him there was absolutely no way that I would have made it to the balcony.

With some difficult manoeuvring, I made it where Captain Sparrow was stood waiting patiently. He reached down a hand. Grabbing hold, we gave a joint effort in hauling myself up and over the railings. I landed heavily in a puddle which my clothes immediately began adding too.

Standing there – sitting in my case – dripping, neither of us spoke as we waited for Will to make his way up. It barely took him any time compared to my efforts. Standing up, I kept my shoulders hunched as unnoticeably as I could to try and ease my back but it was no use. I wouldn't be able to climb any more.

I watched numbly as the Captain began to climb up onto the balcony above us. Will was waiting for me to move, but I wordlessly gestured for him to go first. Mutely he nodded; we had a need to be silent now that we were on board the ship. Luckily for me neither of the men looked back. They were hopefully too focused on their goal of commandeering the ship.

I waited another couple of minutes, giving myself a little time out, before trying the handle on the balcony door. It was open. Pushing it gently, I peeked inside to make sure that nobody was in there. If there was, I'd have been screwed, I wasn't exactly stealthy.

Fortunately for me the room was empty. I strolled in and had a quick nosey around, aware that now I was on board, a ticking clock had started for my seasickness. I fiddled with my satchel checking that it had stayed closed whilst under water. It would have been a shame if I'd lost my ginger; I was definitely going to need it.

Strolling across to the door leading to the inside of the ship, I skirted around a large desk covered in maps of the Caribbean and beyond. Longingly I stared at the books lining the walls. Would anybody notice if I took one? They probably wouldn't, but where would I keep it? I couldn't exactly put it in my bag, it was full anyway, not to mention soaking wet. Glancing behind me, I saw that I'd left a wet trail. Oh well, at least by the time anybody notices it, we'll be long gone.

Not wanting to linger any longer, I inched open the door and scanned the dimly lit corridor, making sure that it was empty. Hearing laughter floating down from the top deck, I guessed that the Captain and Will had made their presence known. Waiting a couple of minutes, just so that I was doubly sure that I wouldn't run into anyone, I kept scanning the corridor and trying to listen through the water still in my ears.

Eventually I finally decided that I was being stupid waiting here for so long, everybody was clearly up on the top deck, and if they hadn't been before, they definitely were now. I started wandering down the corridor in search of a staircase that would take me up to get some fresh air again. Though the ship wasn't moving in any direction, it was bobbing with the current and I could feel my nausea starting to rear its ugly head.

This was one of the two flaws in my plan: my seasickness always got worse below deck and I didn't have a clue where I was going. I'd never been on the Dauntless before and it was a bloody big ship. Thankfully the corridor, though narrow was straight and it wasn't too long before I saw a staircase going up. Creaking wood and my boots scuffing the floor was giving it a whole eerie vibe that I wasn't entirely comfortable with, making me pick up the pace as much as my weary body would allow.

Ascending the stairs was a bit of a challenge but I managed by keeping one arm wrapped firmly around my ribs and the other gripping onto the banister for dear life. Willing my stomach to keep hold of its meagre contents, I finally reached the top only to sigh in irritation. There wasn't another staircase close by. Why couldn't they have designed the ship so that they were at least within the same vicinity as each other?

Grumbling to myself about rubbish architects or whoever it was that designed these ships, I walked back the way I came, only on the floor above. It didn't take me long to spy a square patch of sunlight at the bottom of a staircase. It felt more like a little patch of happiness at that moment. I was so desperate to get back outside.

I had just reached the bottom of the steep staircase and was about to shield my eyes from the sun when a figure moved to the top of the stairs effectively blocking the brightness. I didn't even have time to panic at being caught before the figure spoke.

"Nice of you to join us, luv," Captain Sparrow called down at me. With the sun behind him, I couldn't make out any of his features but there was no doubt in my mind that the figure was the Captain. Who else would have spoken like that?

Climbing up, I gratefully accepted the Captains extended hand when I was almost to the top. He was something of a gentleman with these manners he was displaying. After thanking him for the assistance, he made his way up to the wheel of the ship and not having anything better to do, I followed him. Breathing in the fresh air was a godsend and my nausea went away. For how long this little reprieve would last I didn't know. I hoped it would last for the rest of the journey but I knew that was just wishful thinking. The sad reality would be that as soon as the ship started moving, I'd be back to puking over the railings.

Looking around, I noted the lack of people on deck. In fact we were the only people on board, including Will who was flapping his arms like a chicken trying to move some rope. Furrowing my eyebrows at his strange actions, I turned to Captain Sparrow who was also watching Will with a wicked smile.

"What did you do with the crew?" I questioned.

"Let's just say all it took was a little friendly persuasion and then they were more than happy to play their part," the Captain replied. From the corner of my eye, I noticed him running his fingers over his pistol. By friendly persuasion he meant that he'd threatened them. Lovely, very subtle…

Giving the Captain a small nod to show that while I hadn't been looking at him, I'd been listening, I concentrated on trying to figure out what Will was doing. His little chicken dance had become more extreme and a quick glance at Captain Sparrow told me that he was getting a lot of enjoyment out of it as he leaned against the wheel.

"What is he doing?" I finally asked, caving in to my desire to know.

"No idea…" he trailed off, whilst looking at me mischievously. When I raised an eyebrow at him, he quickly schooled his face into one of perfect innocence and held his hands over his heart. Rolling my eyes at his antics, I turned to look at the view around me. As I did, I noticed that the Interceptor was steadily making her way in our direction. Nudging Captain Sparrow to get his attention, he turned to see what had prompted my elbow to hit his side.

"Aye lass, I see them," the Captain spoke lowly as he got out his little spyglass and peered through it. Whatever he saw clearly delighted him, as he smiled a large toothy grin and snapped the spyglass shut.

"You never said how we're going to get on board," I stated.

His grin changed instantaneously into a wicked smirk and pushed on the small of my back to make my move, choosing to guide me down the stairs to where Will was flapping about on the deck.

Wordlessly, I let him move me about, too tired now to care about what we were doing so long as we got over then in one piece and it wasn't too strenuous. Ducking down below sails as we passed, we finally reached the front of the ship which was hidden by a lowered large white sail. Hiding behind, I wondered silently what we were going to do.

There was no time for talking, the Interceptor also lived up to her name and had snuck up on us fast. Almost without warning, sailors were swinging across on ropes and tying them to the railings so that the Interceptor wouldn't sail away. I watched in amazement as every single man from the Interceptor made their way onto the Dauntless. Shouts started as they began to search for us.

Without warning, Captain Sparrow darted out from behind the sail and untied three of the ropes quickly and came and hid behind the sail with us once again. Handing over a rope to each of us, nothing needed to be said. We understood what he wanted us to do. It was a genius yet simple idea.

Simultaneously we all started walking backwards so that we could get a running jump. On the Captain's signal, we all started running and suddenly we were swinging over the ocean. The rush of the wind against my face felt incredible and exhilarating. Adrenaline was pumping fast and hard around my body.

The high didn't last long. I landed jarringly on the deck, only being able to get up because of the help that Captain Sparrow offered me. My body was well and truly beginning to give out on me now. I'd pushed it almost to my limit.

Will made short work of cutting the ropes that connected the Interceptor to the Dauntless whilst the Captain and I ran over to the wheel. I slumped down in a little bit of a shade, my back against the railings and watched as he started to steer the ship away. I could hear the shouts of the crew aboard the Dauntless and a splash below told me that one brave soul had tried to swing back across and had missed. Belatedly, I hoped that he could swim.

Captain Sparrow turned his body and looking over my head waved at the crew.

"Thank you Commodore for getting us ready to make way. We'd have a hard time of it by ourselves!" He shouted. Shots rang out in response and the Captain ducked to avoid them. If he noticed me flinching from the sounds – and my memories – he didn't say anything. I was still trying to control my breathing as I quirked an eyebrow and tried to sass him so that I didn't look as weak as I felt.

"Was that really necessary?"

Infuriatingly he shrugged and grinned before standing up.

"Pirate," he said by a way of response and pointing to his chest. Turning back around, he looked out to the horizon and grasped onto the wheel.

I suppose it did answer my question and it summed him up very well. He was a pirate and I'd do well to remember that.

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone, so finally made it onto the Interceptor! I hope I did this part justice. It was quite fun figuring out just how they would have walked underwater with the boat and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how they climbed up the Dauntless so I just made it up and hoped that it'd work. If any of you guys know how, please share with me, I'd love to know!

I was going to originally finish this chapter after the whole Tortuga? Tortuga! bit between Jack and Will but as I was writing I realised that I'd gone on for far too long and this part felt like a natural finishing point. I'm also aware that it sounds like Arabella is constantly mentioning the death of Mr Ainsworth. While it's been like what, three-four chapters for us, it's not even been an entire day for her yet.

Coming in chapter 12: Bonding time for Jack and Arabella! I'm excited, I hope you guys are too!

Next update will most likely be earlier than Sunday because I'm going away next weekend. So I'm going to try and get it out before I go.

Unedited - there's probably so many mistakes because I'm half asleep while writing this.

Don't forget to let me know what you think! Until next time xx


	12. An Enlightening Voyage

A/n: light swearing further on in the chapter. I apologise already for the state of this one, I wrote it in the car on my way back from my holiday.

* * *

I didn't dare move. Still slumped in the same position, back against the railings, I was enjoying breeze on my face. Even though I was so tired, I couldn't sleep. Sea sickness was rearing its ugly head again and if I so much as twitched then I wouldn't even get chance to goodbye to the food that I'd eaten on my walk to Port Royal. Unsurprisingly the nausea got worse when I closed my eyes. So I was forced to look for entertainment to keep me occupied.

Said entertainment came in the form of watching Captain Sparrow scurry about around the lower deck. He looked as though he were checking to make sure everything was in working order and up to his standard. Since I had nothing better to do, I seized to opportunity to just look at him. I may not get another uninterrupted chance. Plus it kept my mind away from throwing up, so that was a bonus.

Captain Sparrow moved with a swagger. There was no other word for how he walked and I'd never seen anything like it. It was like he was drunk but I knew full well he was perfectly sober. I wondered if it was just a persona he put on or if he genuinely did always act like this. Every so often he subtly glanced at Will, eyeing him sharpening a sword he'd found, as though he didn't quite trust him. Either that or he was waiting for the younger man to say something.

The Captain certainly knew his way around a ship, not that I'd expected anything else from a renowned pirate. He looked peaceful here, even though it wasn't his beloved Pearl that we were sailing. An idiot could see that he loved being on the ocean. It made me wonder though just how much of it was actually sailing or if his freedom came into it at all. After all, being a fugitive from the law did come with some perks like not having to pay for bills and such. He was free to do whatever he wanted out here without anybody telling him no. Even I could see the benefits of living that way, if I ignored all of the downsides such as never having a permanent home, always being on the run, getting shot and so on.

In complete contrast with the Captain was Will. He didn't seem to give either of us a thought as he continued slowly gliding a stone down the length of the blade. It was obvious that his thoughts were elsewhere. If I were a betting woman, I would have placed all of my money on Elizabeth being the star of said thoughts. Over and over he drew the stone down, emitting a screeching noise that was making me cringe a little bit. Not once did he look anywhere other than at his sword, even when the Captain wandered close to him to secure some rope.

Averting my eyes so that I wouldn't be caught staring, I tried to twist around to look back on the way we'd come. Captain Sparrow was climbing up the short staircase and was removing the rope from the wheel that he'd been using to keep it secure.

Moving was a big mistake. I could feel a light sheen of sweat start to form on the back of my neck and forehead. Leaning my head against the railing I took deep breaths and counted to ten willing the nausea to go away. When it had finally settled down to a semi-manageable level, I roamed my eyes over the horizon. If I squinted I could just about see Port Royal as a smudge in the distance. I hadn't realised that we'd travelled so far already. Had it really been that long since we'd made our great escape?

Something was missing in the picture that I was seeing though. With furrowed eyebrows I tried to shift through my hazy mind to figure just what it was. Sleep deprivation was really beginning to do a number on me. What should have take less than a few seconds to figure out actually took me a good few minutes. Eventually it clicked. There weren't any ships behind us. In fact, as I glanced around, being careful only to move my head and nothing else, we were the only ship that I could see. Unmarried ocean surrounded us for miles. I thought for sure that the Commodore would chase after us. His whole career was at stake, there's no way he would have just let us go on our merry way.

"Why aren't they following us?" I questioned the Captain without turning to look at him.

"Disabled the rudder chain with the crate and rope that young William provided for us. Hold the wheel steady, luv." He spoke in a rush. I barely had any time to react before I heard his boots clunking back down the steps to the lower deck. He hadn't even waited to see if I would do ask he'd asked, just assumed that I'd follow his orders.

"Aye aye, Captain." I muttered sarcastically. With a sigh, I unsteadily heaved myself up to my feet and stumbled over to the wheel. It was touch and go for a moment as to whether the contents of my stomach would come up. I really was feeling wretched. Placing more of my weight onto the wheel than I would have liked, at this point it was the only thing keeping me stood upright, I watched what was happening on the deck below me. Trying to ignore all of my aches.

Will was still sat in the same spot sharpening his sword whilst Captain Sparrow pottered around the deck once again securing ropes from the huge sails. Clearly a sailors work was never done. If I had to constantly do what the Captain was doing, I'd be exhausted after only an hour and this was in good weather. There weren't any doubts in my mind that if we were sailing in the middle of a storm, the work would be even more strenuous.

Captain Sparrow's pottering brought him right next to Will where a rope was flapping absentmindedly in the wind. As he was busy trying to secure it, Will finally spoke, still gazing at the sword.

"When I was a lad, living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died I came out here, looking for my father." He said somewhat forlornly. I bristled slightly becoming aware of the fact that I was about to be in the middle of an uncomfortable situation. Will was a smart man, he would have figured out that Captain Sparrow knew his dad. Unbeknownst the either of them that I did too, but that was a moot point. My grip tightened on the spokes of the large wooden wheel making my knuckles turn white.

"Is that so?" The Captain replied uninterestedly.

"My father, Bill Turner," Will paused as he let the name sink in. The Captain quickly moved away and up the stairs to the deck I was slumped against the wheel. Will followed, not wanting to let the conversation drop now that he'd started it.

"At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted I didn't press the matter."

Captain Sparrow knelt down to secure yet another loose rope. Will took advantage and stood over him in what I could guess was an unconscious intimidation tactic. All I could see now was Will's back, his shirt and pony tail fluttering in the breeze.

"I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father." My eyes widened in shock at Will's words. He'd used the Captain's first name. I was surprised that he hadn't addressed him in the same manner that he'd persisted in addressing me. Although, maybe he thought that what with Captain Sparrow being a pirate and all, he wasn't technically a member of civilised society so he thought there was no need to stand on ceremony.

The Captain audibly sighed as he stood up, his tricorn hat visible above Will's head.

"I knew 'im. Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

I closed my eyes in resignation. I'd really hoped that he wouldn't tell Will this way. Yes, he deserved to know, but perhaps a more gentler approach would have been better. Either way, I couldn't undo what had now been done...or in this case, said.

"Bootstrap?" Will questioned more to himself than the pirate. All the while, said pirate, moved over to where I was leaning on the wheel and gently moved me aside with a firm hand on my waist. It was like he knew that I couldn't support my own weight very well and was trying, without making it too obvious, to help me. That couldn't be right though. Why would he want to help me? A more likely explanation was that he was just being nice. Regardless of his motives, the warmth from his arm and hand was seeping through my clothes, aiding my comfort even more.

"Good man. Good pirate. I swear you look just like 'im." Wincing slightly at the Captain's less than tactful response, I extricated myself from his pleasant grip and slowly perched myself on a barrel just to the side of the deck, leaning my back gingerly against the railings. I didn't want to stray too far away from them just in case.

At this point all there was left to do was damage control and help Will to accept the fact that his father was, and still is, a pirate.

Clearly in denial, Will refuted Captain Sparrow's claims.

"It's not true." He sounded like somebody had just told him the farm where his dog had gone to for 'retirement' didn't exist.

"He was a merchant sailor. A good respectable man who obeyed the law."

The Captain's shoulders tensed up the more that Will tried to deny what he was being told. I reached out and squeezed his arm in warning, trying to tell him non-verbally to take it easy on Will. If I tried to intervene, I just knew that I'd be questioned on either why I was so quick to side with a pirate or how I knew who Bootstrap was. Not particularly feeling like dancing around trying to find believable answers, I kept my mouth shut and hoped that Captain Sparrow would heed my warning.

He didn't. He either didn't understand or just ignored me entirely. Whirling around, he faced Will. He'd moved so quickly that my hand didn't have time to drop, it landed on his opposite arm instead.

"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag," he spat out. I raised my eyebrows a little at his anger. Seems like Captain Sparrow had a hidden temper like me. He whirled around to the wheel again, signalling the end of the conversation. A quick glance at Will showed that he too was seething. He wasn't about to let this go.

"My father was not a pirate!" Will spat back, drawing his newly sharpened sword. With wide eyes, I watched apprehensively. Will wouldn't hurt Captain Sparrow. I didn't remember that happening. Then again, it had been a long time since I'd seen the film, who's to say that I hadn't forgotten some of the smaller details?

The Captain pursed his lips as if to say 'I'm so done with this crap' and spoke in a tired and resigned tone, still keeping his back towards Will.

"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."

Will, with his hair ruffling wildly, was quick to fight his corner.

"You didn't beat me, you ignored the rules of engagement."

Almost unbelievably Captain Sparrow rolled his eyes and silently mimicked what Will said. The childishness he was displaying shocked me since we were right in the middle of what was shaping up too be a serious situation. A situation which wasn't do anything to help my queasiness, in fact, it was making it worse. With my elevated heart rate - most likely from fear - it felt that any second now I was going to have to dive for the railings and give both men a front row seat to my seasickness.

"In a fair fight, I'd kill you."

Captain Sparrow whirled around again, before uttering with a smirk, "then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is it?"

Will's sword couldn't have been an inch away from the Captain's face yet he looked like it didn't even phase him at all. Without any word of warning, the Captain immediately snaked a hand around the back of my shoulders and shoved me forwards, pulling me off the barrel and onto the floor. With his other hand, he spun the wheel around, making one of the sails glide across the deck, sweeping Will straight off his feet.

The fall had jarred my ribs and winded me, slightly. When I was able to breathe again, I stared aghast at the sight of Will dangling by his arms over the ocean.

"Are you crazy?" I shouted at Captain Sparrow. What the hell was he thinking? Will could fall to his death if his grip faltered. Staggering up to my feet, I tried to pull the Captain's arm away from the wheel so that I could bring Will back on board, adrenaline being the only thing that was keeping me standing.

No matter how hard I tugged on his arm, his grip never faltered, unlike Will who every so often kept readjusting his grip. Resorting to other measures, I tried to tug on the wheel. Either Captain Sparrow was super strong, or I was just incredibly weak - I suspected that it was a bit of both - but the wheel didn't move, not even an inch.

A small scream of frustration burst out before I could stop myself. Why wouldn't he let me bring Will back on board safely?

"Just let go! I've been through enough crap in the last day, I don't need to add another death to that list!" Why couldn't he see that I can't stand the thought of watching another person die? Did he notice my panic? Did he just not care?

Tears of frustration were welling and my legs were shaking, the adrenaline leaving my body as fast as it arrived. Captain Sparrow's arm, that was holding onto the wheel, shot out around my waist just before I fell to the floor. Although I was grateful for the help - and the opportunity to save Will - I was too busy fighting the panic and bile that was bubbling up my throat. How had this gone so wrong so quickly?

The Captain continued to ignore me. Feeling disgusted, I pushed myself away from him and staggered the small distance from the wheel to the railing. I made it just as my legs gave out, my torso leaning over the edge.

"Now, as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention...both of you." I could only just hear the pirate over the pounding of my heart. Dizziness was forcing me to keep my head hanging down over the open water with my vision blurring. It was only through the sheer force of my will that I hadn't started retching yet. The sound of a sword being picked up reached my ears but I was too far gone to care about what the Captain had planned. He could kill me now for all I cared, at least it would put an end to my misery.

He carried on speaking regardless of the fact that Will and I hadn't responded.

"The only rules that really matter are these: what a person can do and what a person can't do." Captain Sparrow paused at the sound of my dry heaving.

"For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that some day."

I was a mess. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, my throats was stinging from finally puking my guts into the sea below, the railings were the only things holding me upright, and I couldn't hear properly. Why did Tia Dalia think this was my destiny? She had to have been mistaken. There was absolutely no way that I was meant for this task. Captain Sparrow carried on talking to Will, who I guessed was still clinging on for his life, having disregarded me as a lost cause for the time being.

"Now me, for example, I can let you drown -"

"No!" I managed to croak out, interrupting him. I slid down the railings to rest on the floor, turning to face inwards. Captain Sparrow gave me what I think was an annoyed look - I still couldn't see properly through my tears eyes - before continuing.

"I can let you drown," he repeated. "But I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by my onesy. She isn't going to be much use, savvy?" I dry heaved again, as if to illustrate and emphasise his meaning. Yeah, there wasn't any point in denying that I was useless.

"So," he paused again as he suddenly spun the wheel again, ducking down just in time for the sail to come swinging back onto the deck. Luckily, with the way that I was slumped, the sail swung straight over my head, I wouldn't have been able to move out of the way fast enough otherwise.

Will landed with a loud thunk on his back, his boots near where my legs were sprawled. I breathed a sigh of relief that he was finally safe, and my panic ebbed slightly, leaving me completely drained. Although, I did feel marginally better now that I'd thrown up. Only a little bit though. It was barely noticeable.

Exhaustedly, I watched through heavy eyes as Captain Sparrow held the blade of the sword dangerously close to Will's neck. Why was it that as soon as I thought we were safe, something else had to happen to prove me wrong? Exasperatedly, I realised that he shown his hand though. The Captain needed us just as much as we needed him.

"Can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?" He directed at the both of us. I nodded, not trusting my voice and gagging slightly at the awful aftertaste of puke in my mouth. I really needed a drink to get rid of it. Captain Sparrow casually tossed the sword up into the air, catching it expertly by the sharpened blade, offering the handle out to Will. He took it with a furrowed brow as though he couldn't quite believe what was happening.

"Tortuga?" Will questioned, remembering Captain Sparrow's plan involved picking up a crew from the pirate port.

"Tortuga," the pirate parroted with a large mischievous grin.

I was about to drop off into sleep when Captain Sparrow's boots clunking over to the hatch that led below deck startled me awake. Being a small ship there weren't any fancy staircases with proper doors. Lifting it up, he secured the lid against the mast before walking back over to me.

"Hold her steady," he instructed Will, referring to steering the ship, as he reached me. Without asking, he snaked his hand around my back and under my arms before hoisting me up as though I barely weighed anything.

"Come on love, I know just the trick to sort that,"

* * *

A/n: I actually have most of the second part of this chapter written.I decided to split it into two because I just can't seem to end it how I want it to end. again I apologise for the mess of this chapter, I wrote it on my ipad in the car and I haven't actually read it back yet. I'll post part 2 of this chapter either tomorrow or tuesday and I'll have a read through of this one and update it too. just wanted to give you guys something to read, even if it's rubbish!

until next time x


	13. An Enlightening Voyage Part 2

A/N: As promised, here is the second part.

* * *

"Come on love, I know just the trick to sort that," he said, hinting to my seasickness. Keeping a firm hand around my waist, we slowly made our way over to the hatch. The Captain only let go so that he could descend before me, presumably so that if I lost my footing he could catch me. A preventative measure, I was sure.

Once inside, and my eyes had adjusted to the sudden lack of light, I noticed that we were in a makeshift kitchen of some sort. Captain Sparrow helped me over to a bench and sat me down. If I wasn't feeling so weak I would've been embarrassed at how I needed to be moved around like a child.

Wordlessly I watched as he expertly moved around the small cabin, first starting a fire in a stove before lighting some candles. The soft glow that they created was enough to make my eyes heavy once again. Curiosity kept me awake this time though. Captain Sparrow rummaged around in a cupboard and drew out a cast iron kettle. Now that I knew what he was planning I picked through my damp satchel, trying to find the ginger. It was wet, but it'd still work in the tea. Holding it out for the pirate, I waited for him to notice.

"Looks like you already know the trick," he chuckled to himself as he took the ginger from me. I stayed silent as he cut it up and added it to the kettle because it felt like far too much of an effort to speak.

Slumping down further in my seat, being mindful of my back, I noted the cold sweat that had formed all over but not really caring about it now that I didn't feel like puking. It just brought the urge back for a steaming hot shower. Since that wasn't exactly an option until I got home I cast the thought from my mind as quick as it came. There wasn't any point dwelling on things that I couldn't have.

I was quite content to sleep where I was and I must have given in to my body's demands as the next thing I knew Captain Sparrow was tapping my knee gently in order to wake me up. The smell of ginger overwhelmed my senses and helped to rouse me some more.

Taking the delicate china cup – it looked entirely out of place in the ring adorned hand of the pirate – I sipped the tea gratefully. It could have used a little honey to sweeten it up but beggars can't be choosers and I made do without offering any complaints.

"How long until we get to Tortuga?" I mumbled through a yawn. Captain Sparrow mulled the question over as he made himself comfortable next to me.

"About a day and a half, I reckon."

I yawned again, my eyes closing of their own volition, and didn't offer a response. A little niggling in the back of my head made me aware that the tea cup was starting to slip from my fingers as I fell back down into slumber. Reflexively I tightened my grip and gulped the rest of the tea down, not particularly wanting to fall asleep and end up scalding my legs.

Placing the empty cup on the table, I tried to offer the Captain a smile of thanks. When I looked up from under my lashes, all I could see was the brim of my hat. Why was I still wearing it? I was inside now, so it's not like I needed it to help keep the sun off my face, nor did I need it for a foolish attempt at a disguise anymore. Where we were going nobody would care that I was in men's clothing.

Taking it off, I grimaced as I shook my damp hair out. It stank of the sea and snagged when I tried to run my fingers through it as best as I could. Without washing it, it was bound to be even worse. Not only would it be completely untameable, it'd also be really coarse and feel horrible. God, I missed my conditioner and frizz tamer.

"How long has your back been hurting?" Captain Sparrow questioned, slicing through the comfortable silence that had settled. My hand froze mid-way through combing my hair.

"You noticed that, huh?" I finally replied as if it was something trivial. I really thought that I'd gotten away with it. If he knew now, then he'd probably abandon me in Tortuga. Then it's bye bye home and bye bye life as I get struck down by lightening or whatever way the voodoo magic will kill me.

Then again, he'd probably need all of the crew that he could get. Especially since he couldn't get many, if I remembered correctly, he wouldn't disregard me.

"Only because I was looking," the Captain spoke honestly.

Why was he looking? It had to be because of the clothes. Definitely the clothes, there was no other possible reasoning that made any sense. I let out a shaky laugh that was interrupted by yet another yawn.

"What, you never seen a woman in men's clothing before?" I sassed in an effort to mask how panicked I was with his statement.

Captain Sparrow always seemed to do the unexpected. What I'd been expecting was a scoff and maybe a 'sure I have' or something along those lines. What I wasn't expecting was a loud bark of laughter to resonate around the small cabin.

"That I've seen, love. I've just never met a woman, such as yourself, risk her life to save a friend. It's interesting. You're interesting," he finally said once he'd finished laughing at me.

"What do you mean, such as myself? Should I be offended?" I shot back, purposely focusing on that rather than stressing out trying to figure out the 'interesting' comment. It kind of made me feel a little bit like an experiment, knowing that he'd been keeping a close eye on me.

"For all appearances you're an upstanding citizen and yet…here you are," he stated after pausing. So he hadn't figured me out yet, that was good. It was also bad that he was trying. If I'd already captured his platonic interest then I would have to be more careful to make sure that I didn't slip up with my modern ways. It was vital that he didn't know what I was doing here in the first place.

"Here I am," I echoed quietly, trying to throw him off the scent slightly. How would he be able to figure me out if he thought that even I wasn't sure what I was doing on the rescue mission? It was the best spur of the moment plan that I could think of.

"It happened last night, didn't it?" Captain Sparrow suddenly spoke, once again cutting through the comfortable silence that had settled in around us. I was really hoping that he'd have forgotten about my back. Stupid misplaced hope.

"Yeah," I replied reluctantly, not wanting to divulge anything more than that. I didn't want to revisit certain recent memories but now that it had been mentioned, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

What I needed was a distraction. What I needed was sleep. I sighed as the realisation that I'd most likely be plagued with nightmares hit me. Regardless of that fact, my body was still screaming at me for sleep. The candle flickering on the table was almost lulling me into a hypnotic state.

"Not had it looked at."

Another statement. How did he know these things? There wasn't even an ounce of uncertainty in his tone to suggest that he was just guessing. Had I really been that obvious with my pain? I thought that I'd hidden it really well. Clearly I hadn't been as crafty as I thought.

"How could you tell?" I replied, annoyance lacing through my words.

"Small bloodstain on the back of your shirt. Noticed it when you were busy emptying your stomach down the side of the ship," Captain Sparrow said with a disgusted expression.

I balked a little at the reminder of my seasickness and the fact that my wound had apparently reopened at some point. There was no wonder that it was still throbbing.

"Oh. Right. I should probably try and sort that out," I forced through another yawn. It probably came out sounding less like actual words and more like a garbled mess.

I was blinking heavily now and my eye sight was becoming blurry. Pinching my thigh to jolt me awake, I barely noticed the additional pain before drawing my knees up to my chest and curling my arms around them. Whilst I could happily sleep here, sat up, I'd probably wake up in even more pain than what I was currently suffering through. Besides, if my back had been bleeding again, then that needed to be sorted out first. A chance of infection seemed unimportant to my sleep addled brain though.

"Reckon there'll be a bed around here?" I mumbled without thinking?

Immediately my cheeks burned as I looked at the pirate and realised just how my question could have been misconstrued. He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Something on your mind, lass?" He taunted.

"Yeah, sleep." I deadpanned as quick as a flash, just catching a glimpse of him pouting slightly before burying my face in my arms. With my hair offering extra coverage, I silently berated my need of sleep induced stupidity. Despite the fact that we both knew my back needed some sort of medical attention, neither of us moved.

Peeking at Captain Sparrow through my hair, I saw that he had his head leant back resting against the wall with his eyes closed. His beloved hat had tipped forwards, shadowing his upper face from the candlelight. He was just as tired as I was, but his kohl lined eyes masked what I suspected would be dark circles. The pirate looked younger too. I had no idea how old he was but I guessed he was in his mid to late thirties.

Seemingly recovered from his little bout of tiredness – or he was feeling uncomfortable with the silence that had enveloped us again – Captain Sparrow took pity on me.

"There may not be a separate room but there'll be bunks. Come on," he muttered as he stood up.

He picked up a candle with one hand and extended his other towards me. I gratefully accepted, swaying a little once I was upright. My swaying was abruptly stopped before I could fall by the Captain wrapping a supportive arm around my waist. There was no doubt that after today I was just as much indebted to him as he was to Will and I for springing him from jail.

We didn't have to walk far. Well, in my case, shuffle with the majority of my weight leaning on Captain Sparrow. The next room housed floor to ceiling bunks that were clearly meant for a full able-bodied crew.

The pirate helped to lower me down onto one of the bottom bunks that were already made up.

"Stay," he commanded before lifting a finger into the air as though he'd just had an idea, turning on his heel and marching back the way we'd just come.

Furrowing my eyebrows at his back in anger – I wasn't a dog he could command – I laid down on my side, listening to the clattering coming from the other cabin. Whatever he was doing, I was beyond caring about now. He'd done far too much to irritate me today - I still hadn't forgiven him for threatening Will's life – even though he'd been extremely helpful. The good had yet to outweigh the bad.

A small part of my brain tried to reason that I was just bitchy because I was tired. I ignored it. Closing my eyes, I tried to doze whilst drowning out the noise and his mutterings.

It worked for a little while.

I was jolted awake by the bang of a gunshot and the vision of Mr Ainsworth laid out at my feet, blood pooling around his head. Before I knew it, I was gasping for breath and tears were streaming down my face, soaking into the pillow.

I'd just about managed to get my breathing under control by the time Captain Sparrow came swaggering back in but there was nothing to be done about my endless supply of tears. The Captain stopped in his tracks when he noticed my emotional state but didn't say anything. He just stood there looking uncomfortable, holding a bottle of liquid in one hand and rags in the other. I decided to put him out of his misery and show him that there was nothing to be awkward about.

"I hope those are clean," I said as I gestured towards the rags whilst not making any move to sit up. As well as trying to detract from the awkwardness, I was also hoping that it would deflect the conversation away from my crying. I really didn't want to talk about it. Probably not the healthiest thing to do to keep it bottled up but I'd survive.

"Are you questioning the standards I keep on board my vessel?" Captain Sparrow replied, mercifully picking up on my social cue.

"This ain't your ship," I shot back smartly.

"Well, I don't see any other Captain." The pirate looked around the small cabin jokingly.

Curiosity was really beginning to get the better of me and I caved.

"What's in the bottle?" I asked.

Captain Sparrow lifted it up with his trademark mischievous grin and raised his eyebrows.

"Rum."

"Not that I don't love a good drink, because I do, but is it really an appropriate time to get drunk?" I replied, silently judging him.

"It's always an appropriate time to get drunk," he countered without missing a beat. The pirate looked a little shocked at my admittance that I liked alcohol. I'd been a uni student. I spent more time getting drunk than going to lectures, not that he'd know that. Belatedly I realised that I'd just handed him another piece to the puzzle that was me. Not good.

"So you're saying," I began, trying to move past my little slip up, "that you'd happily let Will bring the ship in to dock on his own whilst you sit happily out on deck sunning and drinking yourself into oblivion?" I had to admit that I was a little bit frustrated at his blasé attitude over alcohol. It was very hypocritical of me.

Captain Sparrow raised his hand, pointing his finger at me, with his mouth open as if to argue my point before snapping his mouth shut in defeat. I gave him a 'you know I'm right look' that consisted of quirking one of my brows and gazing at him pointedly.

"You may have a point," he admitted reluctantly with a little frown.

He looked quite cute.

I jolted as soon as the thought crossed my mind. Maybe it was just because I was taking a cruel enjoyment out of proving him wrong that endeared him the tiniest bit to me or I was delirious from sleep deprivation. Yeah, it was definitely one of those reasons.

"So if it's not for drinking, then what's the rum for?" I questioned in an attempt to draw myself away from any dangerous thoughts.

"To clean your back," he replied simply.

"Why?" I shuddered at the thought of rubbing rum in my wound. Not only would it most likely sting like hell, it'd be really sticky. Unpleasant memories of wiping down the bar after a busy shift spring to mind. Was it really necessary?

"To get rid of any nasties."

While I didn't think it was particularly necessary – after all clean water and bandages should do the trick – I could see where he was coming from. Clean water wasn't exactly available in a surplus here, nor were there any particularly clean bandages.

Wincing, I recalled my shoddy patch up job that I done in a daze back at the manor house. In all honesty, I was surprised that I hadn't got an infection yet and broken out into a fever. It must have some sort of immunity, most likely from my jabs when I was little.

I sighed again as my thoughts inevitably returned to Mr Ainsworth's untimely death. Even though my body felt tired, the memories were keeping me firmly awake the way they kept buzzing around, replaying the events in a continuous loop. I needed a distraction and the Captain was as good as any. What I wanted, in particular, was the very thing that he was cradling forlornly in his hand.

"Alright then, give it here," I said as I finally sat up, narrowly avoiding hitting my head on the bunk above. Captain Sparrow swaggered over and passed it to me before placing the rags down on the bed I'd claimed.

Bringing the bottle up to my mouth, I pulled the cork stopper out with teeth, spat it out across the room and took three big mouthfuls before I could talk myself out of my actions. The rum burned my throat as it slid down. It was a lot stronger than I was used to since it was neat rather than mixed with cola but it had a decent aftertaste.

Captain Sparrow stared at me in shock before suddenly recovering and making to grab the bottle from my hands. I pulled it out of his reach just in time and took another huge mouthful.

"Oi!" He all but shouted indignantly.

"What?" I replied cheekily knowing full well what was wrong with him.

"There's an appropriate time to get drunk," he said mimicking and throwing my words back at me. "Wasn't that what you said?"

"I don't have to steer a ship," I replied simply. "Besides, it'll help with the pain." And the nightmares. Although it wouldn't help with the seasickness – in all honesty it'd probably make it worse – that was starting to reappear. If I could drink enough to forget then at least I could get some sleep before it really kicked in and I ended up throwing up again.

Captain Sparrow looked really disgruntled and I had a feeling that it was partly because I had a legitimate answer for everything. The other part was about the rum. He turned away and strode out of the room. Through the open doorway I could hear him as clear as day muttering to himself.

"It's not fair that she gets to drink it, she wouldn't even notice if I had some. Not to mention that I don't have to answer to her. Who does she think she is? I'm the Captain. I make the rules."

I snorted into the bottle, as I took another swig, at his childishness. For a grown man he clearly did not like being told what to do. An alcoholic buzz was settling in nicely, warming up my insides. Good. Not much longer and I'll be well on my way into a dreamless sleep.

"You finished complaining?" I finally called to him. All was silent until he strode through the door and leaned his shoulder casually against the door frame. His arms folded across his chest and his legs crossed at his ankles.

"I'm beginning to like you less and less," he responded instead of answering my question.

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up my throat. Really, this whole situation was incredibly enlightening.

"Well, if that's all, then…" I trailed off and moved my hands in a shooing motion indicating that he should leave. Rather than doing as requested, Captain Sparrow narrowed his eyes at me. He really did not enjoy being told what to do, I noted, which made me want to boss him about even more. Laughing once again at his reaction, I suddenly cut it out when the pirate's lips pulled up into a dangerous smirk and he advanced predatorily into the room.

"What are you doing?" I asked warily, and shuffling back a little bit on my bunk. He stopped about two feet away from me and tilted his head innocently.

"Would you like some help to get to those difficult to reach places?" He retorted in a deep voice, moving his eyebrows suggestively. My grip tightened on the half empty bottle of rum, and my heart started pounding. I'd never been good at flirting and I was pretty sure that that was what was happening right now.

"I'm not sure I'm drunk enough for this type of conversation, Mr Sparrow."

"Captain," he shot back with dark eyes.

"Captain," I replied, drawing the word out slowly whilst rolling my eyes in an attempt to diffuse the sudden tension.

The alcohol I'd ingested must have cause the slip of my tongue. All the time I referred to the pirate as 'the Captain' or 'Captain Sparrow', never 'Mr Sparrow' and 'Jack' just felt far too personal. Besides, it was a way of distancing myself from what I needed to do. If I got too close and became friendly with him then my emotions were liable to get in the way. I knew that now from my experience last night. Referring to him as 'Captain Sparrow' ensured that I didn't get too close, but oh boy. The man was dangerous.

"If you don't mind," I spoke quietly and gestured to the door trying to show that I was unaffected by his seducing attempts. Captain Sparrow laughed at my apparent discomfort, probably thinking that it was from his proposition, before walking backwards.

"Miss Fenn," he spoke in the same deep tone as before while tipping his hat like a gentleman would and closing the door.

Captain Sparrow was trouble if I ever saw it, I thought unpleasantly through my alcohol induced haze.

Now that he was gone – I could hear his boots clicking on the deck above – I set about trying to remove my shirt and the spoiled bandages before I got too drunk to do anything with a semblance of competency. The bandage stuck slightly where the blood had dried it to my back but with some gently plying it came free.

Dropping them on the floor, I started soaking the rags that Captain Sparrow had brought in with the rum before wiping across my back. What a big mistake. Although the rum I'd drunk had ingesting slightly numbed the pain, I couldn't help but scream through gritted teeth. Damn, it bloody hurt when I wiped over my wound. More so than antiseptic wipes did.

Worrying that if I kept screaming the two men would come running to my aid – and see me semi-naked – I resorted to putting the leather strap of the satchel between my teeth and biting down onto it every time I swiped over the wound. Once the rags finally came away clean, I spat out the strap and paused to take some deep breaths and wipe away the sweat that had beaded on my forehead from the strain.

Spying a chest under the bunk on the opposite side of the room I gingerly moved over to it, grabbing a hold of the nearly empty rum bottle. Walking was a struggle when my inebriation was combined with the rocking of the ship. Luckily for me, I made it unscathed, despite stumbling a few times, and dropped down to my knees to open the chest.

The inside was filled with sailor's clothes. Taking out the first shirt I got to, I started ripping it up and created myself another makeshift bandage whilst gulping down the rest of the rum. Once the bandage was settled into place as best as I could manage, I rummaged through to find another shirt and slipped it on before stumbling back to bed.

Taking off my boots and wet socks, I tossed them out of the bed not caring where they landed before climbing into the sheets and extinguishing the candle that was on the floor next to me. I closed my eyes on the spinning cabin and waited with bated breath for sleep to claim me.

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope this more than makes up for the split chapter and I hope that Jack lives up to your expectations! I tried to do him justice and I hope that I got his character right. I loved writing this and I was actually feeling the tension as I wrote it which was a great experience for me. Please let me know what you think about the chapter as a whole and if you think I did Jack justice! Next update on Sunday, as usual.

Until next time x


	14. An Awkward Conversation

It felt like somebody had picked up a hammer and decided that my head needed a good thumping. And then once that thumping was done they decided to keep going just for the fun of it. Somebody out there was probably laughing at me and taking a huge enjoyment out of my misery. I had nobody else to blame but myself for my current state.

Why had I thought that it would be a good idea to drink as much as I did?

Rolling onto my back, I threw my arms over my eyes and pressed down hoping that the pressure would alleviate some of the pain. It didn't work in the slightest but it'd been worth a try.

As I lay there I tried to establish just what had woken me up. It wasn't the rocking from the ship – it was only lightly swaying from side to side with the swells of the ocean – and I couldn't make out any odd noises suggesting that somebody was in the room with me. It must have been the continuous throbbing that had awoken me, well that and the queasiness that always seemed to be around when I was on a boat.

I thought that I was done with this. Wasn't the ginger tea supposed to help?

It wasn't very fair of me to blame the ginger for not working. It was probably long gone from my system anyway. Besides, it had worked for a little while and it'd been a nice reprieve. This time though, I knew that I was just badly hung over. My seasickness didn't even factor into it.

I knew from experience that I'd feel rubbish for the rest of the day if I didn't throw up. Every time I'd been like this puking was the only thing that would help me. Well, that and a huge greasy fry up for breakfast no matter the time of day.

Gagging at the thought of food, I quickly rolled onto my side to face the rest of the room. I was about to hurtle out of the bunk and find a window when I caught sight of a bowl on the floor just beneath my head. Not wasting another moment, I let it all out, the stomach acid stinging my throat and leaving an awful taste in my mouth.

Cautiously I placed the bowl onto the floor without spilling the contents and flopped back down onto the bed, groaning croakily when I pulled my aching back. I tried my best to ignore the unpleasant sell. I'd deal with it later when I wasn't as shaky or feverish. Throwing my hand back over my face I tried to block out the dim light that was still too bright for my sensitive eyes.

God, I was a mess. Why was it that I always remembered the day after I get drunk that it's never a good idea? I was suffering and it was all my own fault. There was absolutely no way that I could recover as quickly as I did whilst at university. I had a stomach of steel a couple of years ago. Even though I worked in a bar, I'd spent more time serving the alcohol than I had drinking it and clearly, if my state was anything to go by toady, my tolerance had dropped tremendously.

A disgruntled noise came from the doorway. The smell had probably hit them but I wasn't in any mood to apologise. Without taking my hand away from my eyes I waited for them to comment. It was either going to be Will or Captain Sparrow, after all they were the only other people on the ship with me. While I particularly didn't want either of them to see me in my current state, it is what it is and there was no going back now that they'd stumbled into my cabin of self-pity.

"Jack said you might be needing that," Will said, referring to the bowl of sick that sat on the floor. His voice bounced around the room and pierced my eardrums. I tried not to visibly wince but there was no way that I could hide it. Even though I suspected that he was talking at a normal volume, my hangover had intensified it to him shouting.

Annoyance flashed through my veins at being disturbed and from the fact that the Captain had figured out my plan of getting as drunk as humanly possible. Not that he knew the exact reason why but still, he was too close to being accurate for my liking. It meant that he'd read me and my intentions well.

"He says a lot of things," I grumbled back croakily, realising that actually there was a chance that he may not have read me well. He could have just correctly assumed that my seasickness would be back. I let out a low sigh as I hoped that was the case.

Finally removing my hand from my eyes, I squinted through the pulsing to see Will stood awkwardly in the doorway from the kitchen cabin. He shifted about on his feet for a few seconds, looking like he was deciding what to do before wandering carefully over to my bunk. Stopping a few feet away he held out a flask to me.

Sitting up I took it, pleased to notice that my shaking was receding. My throat was screaming at me to down the contents regardless of what it might be. Knowing that would probably be one of the worst things that I could do, even if I was desperate to rid myself of the horrid taste, I instead opened the flask slowly and sniffed it warily trying to determine if it was more alcohol. It didn't smell like it was filled with rum but I wanted to be on the safe side.

"It's just water," Will clarified as soon as he noticed my hesitation. Without any other prompt I trusted his words and drank all of the cool liquid in a matter of seconds, not once pausing for breath.

Now that he was closer to me, I could see Will's features better in the dim light. He was ten times more awkward than he had been when stood by the door. Either he was feeling incredibly uncomfortable being in the same room as me or he just wanted to be away from the smell.

"I hope you didn't want any," I spoke throatily in an attempt to diffuse the awkwardness emanating from the man. Giving him a sheepish smile, I raised the flask to give it back.

"No, I have my own. That's yours," he replied in a clipped tone. Letting my hand drop back onto the bed, I nodded at him to show that I understood.

"Are you feeling better?" Will finally asked. He looked as though he felt the need to make conversation. Even though I wasn't his favourite person at the moment, he still cared about my welfare and it was quite sweet.

"Not even in the slightest," I replied honestly. "How long was I asleep?"

"All night, the sun rose a few hours ago."

"That long?" I questioned to myself as my eyebrows shot up to my hairline. I had hoped for a few hours at best. To hear that I'd apparently slept uninterrupted for well over that, well, I was impressed.

"Jack said that you looked like you could use some sleep and I'm inclined to agree," Will said pointedly, not picking up on the fact that I didn't require an answer.

Rolling my eyes in annoyance, I shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Captain Sparrow must have blabbed to Will about how I'd fallen asleep next to him. Did he share anything about my emotional state too? That would just be the icing on my hangover cake made out of self-pity and misery. Dropping my head into my hands, I groaned again at the insistent throbbing and embarrassment.

Will finally seemed to pick up on my social cues and walked back to the doorway.

"There's some food on the table for you if you feel like eating," he threw over his shoulder before leaving the room without looking back. This time the mention of food didn't affect me.

Flopping back down onto the bed, I hissed in pain, once again forgetting about my wound. It wasn't hurting as much as yesterday but then again my hangover was shocking. That was probably just masking the dull ache however, it was entirely possibly that I'd become accustomed to the pain since it'd been constant for the past day or so.

Now that Will had gone I was left in my hovel of a cabin alone with my bowl of sick. I hadn't realised that I'd grown used to the smell. Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I tried not to think about it. Instead my thoughts turned to my interaction with Will.

Admittedly he'd been civil enough in his short conversation with me but his tone was cold and not as welcoming as I'd previously known it to be. I wasn't really all that surprised after the way I treated him yesterday. Essentially blackmailing a person doesn't tend to stir up fond feelings of friendship. It was clear that he hadn't forgiven me and I needed to make peace with that.

Even though I was regretful of my actions, I couldn't take them back now, it was far too late. The only thing left that I could do was to try and make it right by apologising. If the stilted and forced conversation was anything to go by though, it was going to take some time just like I'd guessed under the bridge. As soon as he rids himself of the eighteenth century etiquette, he'd come around to see how I felt like I didn't have a choice. Hopefully he'd understand.

Deciding that I'd had enough of wallowing; I got up and made my way back over to the chest to find another shirt to rip into makeshift bandages. If I didn't get a move on the temptation to lay back down and try and sleep some more would get the better of me and I couldn't have that. I was anxious to try and start making things right with Will, after all, I considered him a friend.

Everybody needed a friend and I knew that I wouldn't make it through this horrible journey without one to lean on from time to time. There was always Captain Sparrow but I just couldn't bring myself to truly be friends with him when I knew that the whole time I'd essentially be manipulating him.

In a way, I supposed, I was manipulating Will - by withholding the truth about why I wanted to come on the rescue trip - but I'd rationalised that it wasn't quite the same. One white lie didn't outweigh any colossal ones that I'd most likely end up having to weave to pry answers from the Captain.

After I'd swapped my bandages for some clean ones I reluctantly began to get dressed, firmly ignoring my head's protests. I'd tried on some of the clean clothes that were in the chest but other than the shirts nothing else fit me. I'd look ridiculous if I put on the trousers and had them rolled up at minimum five times before you could see my ankle. Even if I did this I'd then have the problem of my boots not fitting properly.

Wrinkling my nose, I settled on pulling on the trousers from yesterday that stank of sea water and tucked in the oversized shirt to keep them up. Huffing at frustration from my hair constantly needing to be pushed back, I started braiding it as best I could before tying it off with a strip of cotton that I hadn't used. Hopefully it would hold and it had the added benefit of staying out my way.

Whilst in the process of tugging on my boots I kicked the bowl of puke. Utterly horrified, I watched as it teetered, the liquid sloshing around willing the bowl to tip so it could spread its foulness everywhere. Luckily, it tipped back safely without a drop so much as spilling onto the floor. I let out a breath that I hadn't realised I'd been holding. I definitely was not prepared to be mopping sick off the floor.

Resigning myself to this being my next task, I pre-emptively held my nose with one hand to block out to smell and precariously lifted the bowl with the other, keeping it out in front of me as far as my arm would allow. Wandering into the next cabin – the opposite one to the kitchen – I stopped short at the sight of cannons dominating the small space, crates of cannon balls lining the walls in between. Spying one that was pulled back from the circular window, I quickly made my way over and squeezed into the small gap. Tipping the bowl out of the window, I looked away and gagged after I saw it dribble down the side of the Interceptor rather than plunge straight into the water.

Why was my aim so terrible?

Dropping the bowl, I ran back through to the sleeping area and snatched up my satchel before wandering into the kitchen cabin. Flinging the bag over my shoulder, I winced as it bounced against my back.

There weren't any candles lit this time owing to the fact that the sunlight streaming in from the hatch above provided a dim but adequate light. At the sound of my stomach giving a ravenous growl, I lunged for the food that was awaiting me on the table. Despite being nauseous still, I couldn't wait to eat. It wasn't exactly a Michelin Star meal, but to my eyes the bread, cold meat and orange looked positively heavenly. Though, thinking about it, I probably should avoid eating the meat because it was highly likely to give me food poisoning – something which I could do without on top of the sea sickness.

A strong bout of queasiness hit me, making me rethink my idea of eating as fast as I possibly could. Wisely, I decided to complete the arduous task of climbing the ladder to be out in the fresh air. I was managing just fine until I reached the last rung when the orange decided to infuriate me by rolling off the plate and bouncing down into the cabin and roll underneath the table.

Growling in frustration and bemoaning my wise decision to be in the fresh air, I stormed up onto the deck leaving the orange behind. Stomping over to the shaded spot I'd been slumped in yesterday, I placed my food down before stomping back to the hatch and climbing down the ladder to get the bloody orange. It was the first treat that I'd had in a while and I was damn well not going to miss out on it because it decided to be difficult and roll away. Stalking back up to my spot, I sat down carefully and begin hacking away at the peel, choosing to ignore the looks that I could feel being fired my way from the two men.

If I hadn't known that being in the fresh air marginally helped with sea sickness – and the fact that it helped the hangover too – I would have happily stowed away in my bunk all day avoiding the severe sunlight that was stabbing repeatedly at my eyes. It was making the little guy with the hammer pound more furiously at my temples. However, since going back inside was probably my worst option at this point, I suffered through, silently complaining that I hadn't been able to find my hat. I'd just have to make do in the shade the best that I could.

The orange was really was heavenly and I'd originally planned to savour it. That plan lasted all of five seconds. As soon as the first segment burst on my tongue, I was a woman possessed. The entire orange was devoured in five seconds flat, the bread not fairing much better. I'd probably come to regret eating this quickly later but for now I was far too hungry to really care. Against my better judgement – although I inspected it thoroughly for green bits first – I ate the cold meats too. It took everything in me not to lick the plate of crumbs.

Now that my stomach's cravings had been somewhat satisfied, I finally paid attention to my surroundings. The sun was high up in the sky and I guessed that it was around mid-day, if a little before like Will had said. Water expanded on the horizon in all directions meaning that we were still a long way off from Tortuga.

Captain Sparrow had he back to me, one hand on the wheel. The other was occupied with holding his compass open. Almost as if he knew that I was staring at him, he snapped the compass shut and fixed it back to his belt.

Curiously, I wondered what the compass would do if I were to hold it. There wasn't any specific direction in which it could point since what I wanted most was to go home. Since home didn't actually exist here, it would be tricky for the compass to do its job. It'd probably just do the same as it did for people who didn't know what they wanted – spin round and round in circles, never settling on a fixed point.

Will was busy on the lower deck surrounded by swords, daggers and muskets. None of that had been out on the deck yesterday so he must have walked through my cabin a few times carrying it all. One of these trips must have been what had woken me up earlier. How I'd managed to walk past with my food without noticing all of the crap before-hand, I had no idea. Amy frequently said that I had a one track mind when it came to food and reluctantly I had to agree. It was normal for me to not think or even attempt a proper conversation when I was hungry. It was also pretty normal for me to get hangry and I had definitely just been hangry. I couldn't even remember the time that I'd had a full meal and had eaten regular meals. Thinking back, I realised that it must have been well over a week now.

Screeching sounds from the stone that Will was gliding down a sword was once again piercing my ears, making me cringe. From the looks of it he planned to check over all of the weapons as a way to pass the time, owing to the fact that conversation was quite strained between the three of us.

We all had different ways of amusing ourselves. I couldn't really do much more than people watch. I was still weak and injured. Captain Sparrow was busy steering the ship and looking every bit the Captain that he was. When he was stood as the wheel he commanded an authoritative presence. He belonged there.

"Nice of you to join us, love," he commented without looking back at me. Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. I snorted at his slightly sarcastic comment.

"Yeah well, I figured that I'd better get some fresh air before we get to Tortuga," I replied softly. I didn't have it in me to speak too loud on account of my head however, I was feeling a lot better now that I'd eaten something and had a good drink of water. The only down side was that the queasiness wasn't really abating and I knew that it'd never go away fully until I stepped on land. I idly wondered how long it generally took people to get over it.

The Captain chuckled but didn't offer anything else in the way of conversation. He just went back to steering the ship.

I stayed where I was for a while, just watching both of the men go about their business respectively but it soon became very boring. Getting up, I trotted down the stairs to try and repair things with Will. His cold tone was really bothering me more than I thought it would.

"Have you always had a fascination with sharpening blades?" I asked of him cheekily, hoping that humour might get through to him.

"No," he replied bluntly. Apparently not.

"Oh. So why all of this then?" I said, not willing the conversation to drop just like that. I came over here with a purpose and I was going to see it through.

Will shrugged and continued sharpening a sword.

"Ok then," I drew out slowly before clucking my teeth with my tongue. "Can I help?"

"This is the only stone." He threw it up in the air before catching it and running it back down the blade. His blunt answers and lack of eye contact were shouting at me to leave him alone but I happily ignored them.

"You don't like me very much at the moment, do you?" I said frankly, making him stop with the stone half way down the sword. My sudden candour prompted him to finally look my way.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Miss Fenn."

"Arabella," I replied with a roll of my eyes. Really, there was no need for the pettiness. I didn't want to go back to that again, not when we were finally free of those constraints.

Will nodded to show that he'd heard me but made no attempt at speaking. He just went back to sharpening the stupid sword. I was half tempted to steal the stone from him and chuck it as far as I could into the ocean. With a big sigh, I tried to reign in my frustration and turned my gaze to my feet.

"Look, I'm sorry that I blackmailed you, alright? It was the only way that I could make sure I could stick with you. You were my best chance at helping to find Lizzy. It's not like I was planning on using you to free Captain Sparrow. That was just a coincidence. If you'd stowed away on a naval ship, I would have been right there with you. Nothing would have stopped me," I said somewhat honestly. Half-truths were quickly becoming my speciality and I hadn't had the time to reflect if I was ok with that.

Will tensed up at the mention of Elizabeth. Really, it was incredibly manipulative of me to use her in order to get him to come around to my way of thinking. In fact, it made me feel incredibly guilty; after all, even though I didn't actually need to be on his good side, I liked him. As long as he didn't interfere in what I needed to do with the Captain, then I didn't have a use for him. I was just lonely and wanted a friend.

Thinking of the Captain once again diverted my attention while I waited for Will to respond. He was very hot and cold with me if our interactions were anything to go by. Yesterday he'd been chatting away with me – part of which I didn't remember fully as a result of the blasted rum – and then today he barely acknowledged my presence with a look in my direction and a one sentence conversation.

I'd come to the conclusion at some point yesterday – when things were a little blurry in my memory – that getting any information that I needed from Captain Sparrow was going to be a lot harder than I thought, purely because he kept things to himself. It didn't come as a surprise. In fact, I'd kind of been expecting it knowing everything that he'd been through in his thirty odd years.

Inevitably, my thoughts then made the small leap to the impending hurricane that Tia Dalma had warned me about. I had no idea when that was coming to wreak havoc on us, especially since I couldn't remember there being one in the film. It was making me anxious and desperate to get the information that I needed as quick as possible.

That wasn't an option that I had though. I needed to tread carefully if I was to gain the Captain's trust so that he'd open up to me. Yesterday had felt like a good start but today it seemed like we'd taken two steps back. I supposed that if anything, I could try and bond with him over our mutual love – more like hatred in my case today – of rum as long as I didn't get too attached to the friendship. It wouldn't do well to be friends with Captain Sparrow.

Finally realising that Will wasn't going to say anything and had left me to stew in my thoughts, I squared my shoulders and tried again.

"I get it ok, I do. I don't like me very much at the moment either, but I could really use a friend. I know I'm not in any position to be asking things from you but for what it's worth, I truly am sorry."

Giving him a small smile, I wandered away to lean over the railings. Casually looking down at the water lapping at the side of the ship, I mulled over the honesty in my words. This time, I'd given him the whole truth and I could only hope that he'd see that.

I stood there for a while, trying to focus on the breeze on my face while praying that I wasn't burning in the sun. Will hadn't gone back to sharpening his sword again, for which I was thankful. I tried not to read too much into it, though I couldn't help that I small part of me was jumping for joy at him thinking over everything I'd said.

Silently, he joined me at the side of the Interceptor making me jump slightly. Leaning his arms on the railings, mimicking my stance, he started twirling a dagger around his fingers. We stood there a little awkwardly for a while, neither of us wanting to be the one to start speaking.

"I don't approve, you know," he finally said as we both stared out at the blue horizon.

"Hmm?" I questioned, knowing full well what he was referring too. Selfishly, I just wanted to hear him say it so that he'd give his honest opinion.

"Of you coming with us," he clarified. "It's going to be dangerous."

"I knew the risks," I said trying to quell his fears.

"Are you sure? Have you ever been to a pirate port?"

"Have you?" I shot back, watching Will from the corner of my eye as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"No but…"

"Then how can you imply that I don't know the risks of what I'm getting into when you don't either?" I cut him off.

"Do you know how to fight?" He countered, ignoring me.

I paused before saying resignedly, "no."

"Then you don't know any of the risks involved." He said satisfied that he'd bested me in the verbal debate. I crossed my arms in a huff, I wasn't above sulking when I was hung over. We both went back to silently staring at the seemingly endless ocean.

"There won't be any going back for you if they find out that you've willingly joined a pirate," he eventually said in concern.

"I know," I replied in as sad of a tone as I could muster. If all went well, I'd never return to Port Royal again. I missed Estrella and Cook dearly but if I was too see them, then it would probably mean that I'd failed and was facing the imminent death that Tia Dalma had warned me about. Similarly, what Will had said would come to pass. I'd be seen as an outcast to society and would most likely be hanged from my crimes.

"The same applies to you though, they saw you free him." I jerked my head in the direction of Captain Sparrow. "At least I had some anonymity. I'm pretty sure that nobody knew who I was," I replied warily, peeking at him.

"I don't care. As long as Elizabeth's safe, that's all that matters," he said firmly.

"You really love her, don't you?" I spoke softly, finally seeing a glimpse into the full extent of his feelings for her.

Will nodded and again lapsed into silence. It was answer enough for me. I turned back to the sea once more, noting the lack of clouds in the sky.

"If it helps, I don't plan on confronting any pirates or getting into fights. I just want the same as you, to see that Elizabeth is safe," I said honestly, realising that I hadn't lied. I really did want Elizabeth to be safe.

"You can't guarantee that," he replied, referring to my plan of avoiding fights.

I could try and make myself scarce when they happen because Lord knows I'd be useless in a fight and I sure as heck didn't want to witness another death, pirate or not. Not even the ones who murdered Mr Ainsworth. They deserved to be locked up and left to rot however, being in the eighteenth century meant that my hopes of that happening were highly unlikely. It was more likely that they'd hang for their crimes of piracy or be killed in a fight.

"Definitely not, especially where Captain Sparrow is concerned," I finally said with a little grin, deliberately misinterpreting his words. Will, already familiar with how infuriating the Captain could be, gave me a small smile in return and went along with it.

"He looks like he could use someone to keep him grounded with all that…" he trailed off as he stretched out his hands and wiggled his fingers in a scarily accurate imitation of the Captain. I laughed a little, still mindful that it feel right to be happy so soon after Mr Ainsworth's untimely passing. I felt like I was disrespecting his memory somehow by laughing. Predictably it shut me up quickly and pulled my mood right back down.

"I can't forgive you, not yet at least," Will muttered sensing the change in me.

"Understandable."

"Is there no way that I can convince you to return to Port Royal?"

"Absolutely not," I replied with conviction. The only way I was going back there was against my will and I would kick and scream the whole way.

"I thought you might say that," he murmured to himself. "I insist that you take this."

Looking down at his hands, I saw that he was offering me the dagger. I made no move to take it.

"I don't want that." I couldn't take it. If I had a weapon then I was accepting the fact that I was going to see some danger. I knew when to avoid the fights thanks to my foreknowledge – even though that was a bit rusty since I hadn't watched the films in a long time now – and I felt like if I took the dagger I'd be thrown right into the deep end. Will could see that I was scared of it as plain as day, I wasn't exactly trying to hide it.

"You said that you know the risks. If that's the case, then you need something to protect yourself with, you never know what might happen."

Grudgingly, I conceded that he had a point. I still didn't take it though. My body had broken out into a cold sweat and my stomach was churning at the thought of accepting his offer. The colour had most likely drained out of my face. On second thoughts this could have been, in part, my seasickness rearing up again.

Upon realising that I wasn't going to take the dagger of my own free will, he lifted my hand and placed it on my palm wrapping my fingers around the hilt. Now that I had hold of it, I couldn't let it go. My knuckles were turning white from my tight grip. Bracing myself, I took a few deep breaths trying to calm down. It wouldn't hurt me – at least not whilst I was holding it – and accepting it didn't have to mean that I was resigning my fate to fights galore.

Begrudgingly I pulled the dagger out from its sheath. The blade, clean from inscription, glistened in the sunlight. Being careful – remembering that it was most likely extremely sharp due to Will's attentions – I turned it over in my hand as I relaxed my tight grip. The hilt was beautiful; a white handle inlaid with gold twisting around. It was simple and yet incredibly beautiful, dangerously so.

Of course, I had absolutely no idea how to use and I didn't particularly want to be taught either. I've never been in a fight. Even before Will had forced me to take it, I'd resolved that I'd never use it other than as a deterrent. I'd never be able to stab someone, I wasn't mentally or physically capable of that.

Needing a quick change in conversation before I started to overthink things, I opened my satchel and put the dagger in whilst talking.

"Any chance you know how to make ginger tea? I could really use some," I said imploringly, trying to hide my relief at not being able to see the dagger. My dagger.

"What happened to not being in any position to be asking things of me?" Will threw my words back at me, making me wince slightly from the sting.

"No, I'm sorry, you're right," I said, thoroughly chastised. He smiled to show that there was no harm done.

"Erm, thank you," I said awkwardly as I walked backwards, suddenly wanting to be alone with a cup of steaming ginger tea. Seeing his confused look, I clarified for him. "For the dagger."

It would have been a smooth getaway if I hadn't stumbled over a pile of rope. Righting myself, and feeling completely embarrassed, I turned around and practically ran to the hatch before scrambling down the ladder into the kitchen cabin.

Rummaging through every cupboard, in a very similar fashion to Captain Sparrow yesterday, I tried to find something to light a fire with. Eventually, I found a tinderbox. Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at using them and for the life of me, I couldn't start a fire. The nausea was making herself very well-known which wasn't helping matters. Again and again I tried, but the damn thing just wouldn't catch.

With a scream of frustration I threw the tinderbox down on the floor, groaning a little in pain as the action pulled at my back. Even though my hangover had pretty much gone now, it had been replaced. It felt like one thing after another and I had to try not to dwell on it too much in case I had a meltdown. Plonking myself down on the bench, I pressed my palms onto my eyes, willing myself not to cry again.

The sound of boots thudding down the ladder made my glance up. Will, one arm full of weapons, was casually climbing down. He took one look at me sat on the bench with my knees pulled up to my chest before walking through towards the munitions cabin. Swiftly he came back and I watched wordlessly as he set about making a fire. The tinderbox worked on his first try. Internally I was seething at the tinderbox. Why wouldn't it light for me?

Annoyance hastily morphed into gratitude as Will went on to cut up some of the ginger that had been left on the side and adding it to the kettle that he'd filled with clean water. Placing it on the stove, he stepped away and started climbing back up the ladder.

"Thank you," I finally choked out. I didn't deserve his help and yet he was kind enough to do it anyway. Will paused when he heard my quiet voice calling to him.

"You're welcome," he replied gently before disappearing out onto the deck.

It wasn't much and I could see that he definitely hadn't forgiven me but it was a step in the right direction. It was progress and it made me hopeful that I'd at least have one friend on this journey, even if it had started off with me lying through my teeth.

I resolved there and then as I waited for the water to boil that I wouldn't outright lie to Will if I could help it.

* * *

A/n: filler chapter. I felt like it was needed and important in the development of Will's character. Let me know what you think especially if you think I've done Will justice. Found this one quite difficult to write. I don't know if that was because this was pretty much all my own imagining or what but I struggled. Hopefully the next one will be easier.

Next chapter: Tortuga!

I also want to just take this moment to thank everybody that's reviewed so far! Thank you so much, you're all amazing and have been so helpful for me.

Unedited like normal. If anyone fancies being my beta, let me know.

Until next time x


	15. An Intriguing Proposition

An afternoon nap had done wonders for my disposition as well as dispelling any lingering remnants of my hangover. Once Will had disappeared back onto the deck, I was left in solitude to brew my ginger tea and do as I pleased.

Deciding that I wasn't going to risk using the stupid tinderbox, I hunted around for some candles and lit them from the fire on the stove. It probably wasn't the most responsible thing to do – in fact, I remember Amy's mum always telling me to never sleep while a candle was lit in case I burned the house down – especially since I was currently living in one of the most flammable resources there is and there wasn't any land in sight. It did, however, have the added benefit of enabling me to keep up a steady stream of my saviour – ginger tea – without having to bother Will or the Captain for help.

I hadn't intended to nap, but once the ginger had settled in my stomach, tiredness had crashed over me again. Since there wasn't anything better to do, I rolled with it and was asleep before my head even hit the sorry excuse for a pillow.

Waking up a few hours later, the only thing that got me through the disorientation was a combination of tea, food and obsessively checking through my satchel to make sure that everything was there. My pyjamas were a small comfort which was quickly offset by the sight of my dagger. I'd forgotten that it was there. It took everything I had in me to not throw it overboard and never see it again.

Not wanting my seasickness to make a reappearance so soon I'd rushed up the ladder as gracefully – or lack thereof – as I could manage. Trying not to spill any of my freshly brewed tea was the biggest challenge and some sloshed onto my shirt in the process. I couldn't be bothered to change again so I ignored it, not caring that it'd most likely stain, and embraced the cool breeze.

We weren't far from Tortuga now. On one side of the Interceptor, land was practically within spitting distance. We were so close I could hear the sea lapping against the rocks. Feeling the relief at being so near to disembarking bubbling within me, I settled myself comfortably against the railings on the opposite side and watched the sunset as I sipped my tea.

Back home, I'd never really taken the time to enjoy the simple things in life such as watching a sunset or laying beneath the stars. I'd always been too busy working or had been caught up in something on my phone. Since being here, this moment in time was quickly becoming my favourite part of the day. The colours as they melted flawlessly from a brilliant yellow to dark blue were soothing and familiar. Everything around me was cast in a warm glow, changing with the colours seamlessly.

The breeze had picked up since I'd been asleep. As my braid whipped around my face, I noticed that we were moving quicker than before. Not too long ago the Captain had gleefully informed Will and I that as soon as we rounded the rocks, we'd be within the harbour attached to Tortuga. His words had sliced through a silence that had again blanketed us.

Conversation hadn't been plentiful among the ship – even whilst I was asleep - if the tension between us was anything to go by. Even the most oblivious person would have been able to pick up on it.

Ultimately, we were all still strangers, with the exception of my prior acquaintance with Will. There was bound to be some awkwardness as we got to know each other. How we were going to manage it without conversing, I wasn't entirely sure, considering that apart from the few words exchanged here and there we were all content to just let the atmosphere fester between us. At least we weren't at each other's throats. That probably would have been more difficult to handle.

While I pondered the pros and cons of which atmosphere I would have preferred, a green flash on the horizon shot up into the darkening sky. Within less than a second it had disappeared. If I'd blinked I would have missed it.

I turned to see if Will and Captain Sparrow had witnessed the flash. Both of the men were busy, running around the deck and messing with ropes attached to the sails. We must have been closer to Tortuga than I thought if they were readying the Interceptor to dock. Figuring it would be safer for all involved if I kept out of the way, I sighed as I looked back on the horizon. The orange glow had receded, a muted grey taking its place as we were plunging into darkness.

Finishing my tea I mulled over what the green flash truly meant. I was sceptical that it was somebody coming back to life from Davy Jones' locker. From what I could remember of my science lessons, the flash should be nothing more than a product of refraction.

I'd grown up believing that things like the dead coming back to life were impossible. Being here had definitely cast some doubts on my beliefs, especially since I'd met Tia Dalma and had been on the receiving end of her voodoo. I was finding it difficult to equate the world that I'd grown up in with the one I was currently living in even though they're one and the same. To say that it's a huge adjustment was an understatement. The world had changed almost completely compared to how it was now.

As the ship rounded the corner and sailed swiftly into the harbour, soft cracks echoed as they bounced from rock to rock until they faded away into the ocean. The closer we drew to the port, the louder the cracks became. I quickly realised that they were gun shots. Multiple gun shots.

Cringing, I tried to steady my heart as I was again reminded of what pirates were capable of. Alcohol and pistols really weren't a good mix and if the noise was anything to go by the pirates were already more than trigger happy.

The momentary peace I'd experienced from the sunset lay shattered at my feet. From the sounds of it we were in for a wild time and I felt completely unprepared to face what was coming. I'd be lucky if I didn't get shot from a stray bullet.

As we drew up to the dock, peals of laughter, shouting, screaming and singing accompanied the near deafening cracks that ripped through the air.

Discounting the guns, they were all sounds that I tended to associate with a night out drinking. In fact, they were so loud that it sounded more like a football match at the World Cup where the home team were winning. The only difference this time was that it was practically the whole town out on a bender. Not for the first time, I pondered on whether I was ready to see such depravity. Although, I suspected that it'd be fundamentally the same as a night out in Newcastle only with more prostitutes and pirates.

The thought sent shivers down my spine. It was one thing to witness this kind of debauchery when you're steaming – you're more likely to just go with it – but it's a whole new experience to witness it sober. Despite building up a tolerance to it at the bar, I still felt like I was about to be rocked to my core. It was a feeling that I was quickly becoming familiar with.

As soon as Captain Sparrow lowered the gangplank onto the pier, I dashed down it before either of the men could blink. With my satchel grazing my hip, I sank down to my knees and was about to kiss the unmoving floor until the thought that it was incredibly unsanitary stopped me short. I hadn't realised the true extent of my desperation to be on dry land until it was there for the taking.

Fighting the blush on my cheeks, I tried to play it cool and act like I was looking for something in my satchel rather than planting one on the floor. I needn't have worried. Captain Sparrow and Will were faffing around securing the Interceptor and making sure that she wouldn't float away rather than paying any attention to me. Relief flooded through my system.

By the time we had started making our way into the town, silent as ever, night had blanketed everywhere I looked. Fires and candles lit the way for us, casting a warm glow over the houses and taverns. The buzz of noise grew louder as time had drawn on from us first docking, presumably owing to the fact that more people were becoming inebriated.

There was a marked difference between the edges of town and the centre. A few brawls on the outskirts had me straying as close as possible to Will and Captain Sparrow all the while keeping a firm grip on the strap of my satchel. My apprehension was building with every step we took.

However, this was tame compared to what greeted us towards the middle. Prostitutes were on every corner. Pirates - stood on the balconies above us - were firing their pistols into the air, attempting to pierce the clouds. People fought over everything: alcohol, women, treasure.

Captain Sparrow led us down a narrow street. Wrinkling my nose at the smell – I reluctantly followed wondering how long it would take before we left to find Mr Gibbs. Suddenly, some men burst out of the tavern just behind me, staggering into each other and trying to sing a tune with horrendously slurred words. Not being able to withhold a smile of amusement, I watched as they wandered away, keeping each other up right as they went.

Once I looked passed the sheer amount of fights and promiscuity, the whole environment felt familiar and sights like that one were comforting. It was nice to know that some things hadn't changed and it made me feel more at home. A phrase I never thought I'd equate to Tortuga of all places.

Not realising that my companions had kept walking, I hurried back to them catching the tail end of what sounded like a one sided conversation.

"More importantly," Captain Sparrow continued, looking at Will in delight. "It is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy?"

I made a face behind their backs. I wouldn't go as far as that but I could definitely see the appeal in such a place, not that I'd ever openly admit it. That would just open up a whole load of questions that I didn't want to answer.

"What do you think?" Captain Sparrow asked of Will, clearly expecting the younger man to be in awe of the town.

Will took one look at a woman perched on a barrel, pouring rum down a man's throat as she cackled away, before turning back to the pirate.

"It'll linger," he said in a deadpan tone.

"You can say that again," I seconded as I eyed the drunkard swaying precariously on a barrel next to the prostitute. One wrong move, or even a small gust of wind, would have been enough to knock him down.

Captain Sparrow narrowed his eyes at me before dismissing me as a lost cause and turned his attentions back to Will.

"I'll tell you mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." As the Captain was speaking, he turned to face a scowling woman as she marched purposely towards our little group.

"Scarlett!" He cried out as he swaggered over to meet her.

If he was hoping for a happy reunion, Captain Sparrow clearly thought wrong. He was about to say something else when Scarlett drew back her hand and harshly slapped his face. The impact swung Sparrow's upper body around too face us as he muttered, "not sure I deserved that."

Raising my eyebrows, I fought to hide my smirk as I noticed a blonde woman making her way towards us. Scarlett was striding away with a self-satisfied gait, not caring that the blonde was giving her a dirty look as she passed.

Captain Sparrow recovered quickly as he finally saw the blonde, acting as though nothing had happened.

"Giselle," he said in a low tone that I assume he thought was seductive. She merely smiled menacingly at him before going in for the kill.

"Who was she and who is she?" She said in a deceptively sweet tone before nodding her head in the direction Scarlett had disappeared and then at me. I raised my hands in defence to signal that I hadn't meant any harm, puzzled that she'd be singling me out.

Captain Sparrow whirled around to look at me startled and whirled back just in time for Giselle's palm to connect with his red cheek. The force once again twisting his upper body round to face Will and I. Sparrow's shocked face soon morphed into one of reluctant acceptance.

"I may have deserved that," he said resignedly before shaking it off.

Exchanging an amused look with Will at what just happened, I mused on why she had singled me out. I hope that she didn't think that I was the latest notch on his bedpost. Shaking my head to get rid of the thought, I tried to focus on other things, like why I was feeling a tiny bit of sympathy for the pirate. I supposed there was nothing worse than a woman scorned and from the looks of it, those slaps would hurt for a while, especially if the redness of his cheek was anything to go by.

"Right, off we go," Captain Sparrow said, back to his usual self and swaggered off in the opposite direction from the women.

"So," I started, wandering along beside him not even bothering to hide the smile from my face. "Who were they?"

The Captain gave me a side-eye before speeding up, attempting to get away from the conversation I'd tried to start. Not wanting to give up – I was far too nosy for my own good – I jogged to catch up.

"Oh come on, tell me, did you promise your everlasting love to one of them?"

Captain Sparrow scoffed before rounding on me.

"Of course not, my only love is the ocean."

 _And the Pearl_ , I silently tacked on. He probably didn't want to mention it, what with it being a part of his grandmaster plan and all.

With a sharp turn to the left, cutting me off, he took us down a dimly lit alleyway.

"Like that would stop you from lying," I finally replied confidently.

Captain Sparrow hummed half-heartedly as he led us down the alley, not disagreeing with my statement.

"Did you act dishonourably towards them?" I continued.

"Nothing more than they asked for," he said with a mucky grin, wriggling his eyebrows. Wrinkling my nose in distaste I let that line of questioning drop, not wanting to delve any deeper into what they may have been up too in their spare time. The fact that they were obviously prostitutes told me enough.

Captain Sparrow, smirk firmly fixed in place, brought us to a stop in front of a pig sty.

"Thought he might be here," he murmured to himself, almost cut off by a loud snore. This must have been Mr Gibbs.

Gasping in mock horror I turned to look at the Captain who stared back with an eyebrow raised, waiting to see what I'd come out with next.

"Did you promise Scarlett a share in some treasure?"

I still wasn't willing to let the subject drop as we looked down on the sleeping man.

"You're rather persistent," he replied, avoiding the question.

"So I've been told." I smiled innocently up at him.

"Has anybody ever told you that you're annoying?" He questioned, giving me a similar mocking smile back. I pouted. That was a bit rude. Deciding to let the subject drop for a little bit, I backed down and turned my attentions to the snoring Mr Gibbs.

The smell was awful. How he could sleep in there, I had no idea. The fact that he was black out drunk probably helped. Will and I both did nothing to hide the grimaces from our faces as we looked on at the sleeping man. To make matters worse he was resting on a pigs belly with a huge pile of droppings not too far away. If he were to roll the wrong way, he'd be face down in them.

"Which one of you will be doing the waking then?" Captain Sparrow said happily.

"I'm not going in there," I swiftly replied, shaking my head for emphasis. The ground was littered in droppings and I suspected that the smell would increase tenfold if I were to venture in.

Will shook his head whilst I was speaking. He didn't want to go in either.

"You know the guy; shouldn't you be the one to wake him up?" I asked Captain Sparrow smartly.

He gave me a blank look before glancing around desperately, trying to find something that would prevent him from stepping too far into the sty. His eyes lit up when he saw two buckets.

"Young William, come with me," Captain Sparrow said smugly before pointing at me. "You. Stay, there."

I frowned at him in annoyance but did as commanded, watching as the two men collected the buckets and ran a little ways down the alley to a water pump.

One of the pigs shifted in their sleep, making Mr Gibbs let out an almighty snore and shuffle a little closer to the droppings. Once again I wrinkled my nose at the sight and smell that the movement had stirred up. It really was awful. The combination of rum, pigs and stale sweat really wasn't good. What had the man done to end up sleeping in a literal pig sty?

Captain Sparrow and Will returned swiftly with the now full buckets. Folding my arms, I took a step back in case there was any splash back from what was about to happen.

Turning to the pirate I tried to hide how uncomfortable I'd felt at being left alone, even though they'd stayed in my sight the whole time, and restarted our previous conversation.

"Oh, you didn't promise Giselle a share in the treasure as well, did you?"

I patted his bicep – ignoring how firm it felt – as I spoke in the most mocking tone I could muster, smirk firmly planted on my lips.

By way of reply, Captain Sparrow narrowed his eyes at my unwillingness to let the topic drop and unceremoniously threw his bucket of water over Mr Gibbs.

With a sharp gasp as the water hit him, Mr Gibbs startled awake, the pigs behind him grunting in protest at the rude awakening.

"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" He shouted, brandishing a knife from his belt to warn off his awakener.

When he'd finally realised that nobody was about to attack him, Mr Gibbs squinted at us in the darkness to work out who we were. It didn't take long. Although he furrowed his eyebrows at myself and Will, he instantly recognised Captain Sparrow.

"Mother's love! Jack!" He exclaimed in surprise whilst he slid his knife back onto his belt. Still lying amongst the pigs, clothes soaking wet, he smiled at his friend.

"You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck!"

Captain Sparrow and I simultaneously rolled our eyes at Mr Gibbs admonition. He was sleeping in a pig sty and his biggest worry was bad luck at being woken up. It didn't make any sense. Talk about skewed priorities. I suspected that Captain Sparrow agreed with me too.

"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it." The Captain replied.

Gingerly taking a few steps in, being sure to step around any droppings, he knelt down in front of Mr Gibbs as he chucked the bucket to the side.

"The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking," he said convolutedly.

A quick glance at Will told me that he also was having difficulty keeping up with Captain Sparrow's unnecessary phrasing. There was a pause as Mr Gibbs tried to keep up, not hiding the confusion from his face as he did so. He was very expressive. It was visible to all of us the moment he understood. If he were a cartoon a light bulb would have switched on over his head. Laughing to myself a little at the image that though conjured up, I waved off Will's unspoken question as he looked at me wonderingly.

"Aye, that'll about do it," Mr Gibbs agreed, happy at the prospect of a free drink. I couldn't blame him. Everybody likes free things.

Captain Sparrow helped the scruffy man to his feet, before quickly stepping back a few paces and not a moment too soon. Will stepped forwards and before Mr Gibbs could even blink he was doused in another bucket full of water.

"Blast! I'm already awake," he shouted as he shook his head like a dog. His frown lines stood out on his forehead as he bared his teeth in anger.

"That was for the smell," Will replied quickly, not wanting to face the man's wrath.

Mr Gibbs thought about it for a moment before shrugging his shoulders as he obviously decided that he couldn't fault Will for his actions.

"Now, how about this drink then?" He asked as he clapped Will on his shoulder on his way past.

Wandering behind the two friends as they caught up, I fell in step with Will. Neither of us spoke. I don't think we really knew what to say to each other and I wasn't about to start making small talk about the weather. I had a feeling that would make this even more awkward than it was. A quick peak at Will showed me that he was too busy paying attention to our surroundings now that we were back in the raucous streets. Eyeing the brawls wearily, I started to feel a little exposed without having somebody stood on my other side.

Hearing a lull in conversation between the two men in front, I quickly left the awkward tension behind. Running forwards, I barged my way between Captain Sparrow and Mr Gibbs.

Ignoring any kind of etiquette by not immediately introducing myself, I walked beside them for a few moments, relishing in the comfort it gave me to know that I was a little bit safer than before.

"You know," I started teasingly. "You still haven't told me what happened. I'll just keep guessing until you spill."

Captain Sparrow unwisely chose to ignore me.

"Captai…"

"Who's this?" Mr Gibbs inquired as though I wasn't there and rudely interrupting me.

"Nobody, just a gobermouch," Captain Sparrow replied with a pointed look at me. I had no idea what the word meant but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't a compliment. I grinned at him to show that I wasn't affected before sticking my hand out for Mr Gibbs to shake.

"I'm Arabella, nice to meet you…" I trailed off as though waiting for his name. I had to keep up pretences after all. It'd look a bit weird if I were to know his name without anybody telling me who he was and never having met the man.

"Joshamee Gibbs," he supplied with a firm shake. I tried to hide my grimace at his name. It really didn't sound right after being so used to hearing him referred to as 'Mr Gibbs'. I'd get used to it eventually; we'd be spending enough time together stuck on the Interceptor.

"Well, Mr Gibbs." I stuttered over his name, feeling too personal to call him 'Joshamee'. "Maybe you can help me with something?"

"Go on," he asked, intrigued.

"You see, Captain Sparrow here just had the bejesus slapped out of him by two delightful women, Scarlett and Giselle. Perhaps you're familiar with them?" I replied sweetly. Mr Gibbs laughed loudly at Captain Sparrow's darkening expression not noticing me wince due to my language slip up. 'Bejesus' wasn't even a word yet. Luckily neither of them questioned it.

"No, I'm not familiar with them, but I'm not surprised he gone and got himself slapped," he said between laughs.

"Ah," I said, trying to act downtrodden. "I was hoping you'd be able to tell me why. He's not exactly very forthcoming." Jabbing a thumb to point at the Captain over my shoulder who was grumbling indistinctly, I couldn't help but join in with the laughter.

Mr Gibbs paused as he opened the door to their chosen tavern, light spilling out onto the street.

"After you, Miss," he said simply with a little gesture. Who said chivalry was dead? It was rife in this day and age.

"Why thank you," I replied with a mock curtsey, about to make my way through when Captain Sparrow barged his way passed. Rolling my eyes at his childishness, I followed the pirate in.

The inside of the tavern immediately assaulted my senses. Not only was the stench of rum stronger here – unpleasantly reminding me of my recent hangover – but the fights were noisier. Being in such close quarters made it even more dangerous. At least nobody was shooting at anyone.

Captain Sparrow meandered his way through the crowd towards the bar where a serving woman was looking rushed of her feet. My heart went out to her, I definitely felt her pain. Being the only one behind the bar she looked like she was having a rough time of it. At least she wasn't entirely on her own in the place. After a quick glance around the room, I spotted more women weaving in and out of the brawling customers with trays and tankards.

Not wanting to linger in the fray and risk being caught up in a fight, I kept close to Mr Gibbs as he moved away from the bar towards a free table in a secluded alcove. Glasses were smashed on the floor as we passed and nobody batted an eyelid. I was more surprised that the universal drawn out 'way' hadn't accompanied each smash as it would have done back home. It was weird not to hear it.

I slid into a chair next to Mr Gibbs whilst Will dithered about looking entirely too uncomfortable in the tavern. One look at the man and you could tell that this wasn't his usual establishment. I think I was more at home here than he was which was incredibly ironic.

"So Miss Arabella, how is that you became acquainted with Jack?" Mr Gibbs spoke up.

"I helped to spring him from jail," I replied with a little smile.

Mr Gibbs burst out laughing again and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"How in the blazes did you manage that, lass?" he finally asked as he sobered a little.

"Let's just say it involved a wheel barrow, some quick thinking and leave it at that," I said in as light of a tone as I could muster. I really didn't want to go into details of that day again. It was all still to fresh and raw.

Mr Gibbs chuckled again but took the hint. Will was stood near the entrance to the alcove now and every so often kept looking back at me disapprovingly. I sighed as I realised that my overfriendliness was being frowned upon by the man. Just when it seemed like I was making headway in getting him to forgive me, I go and do something that sends me two steps back. He didn't approve of me being here and I'm sure that with the way I was chatting easily with the pirates was making him rethink my character entirely.

Wanting a distraction, I turned my attentions back to Mr Gibbs, who was pulling at his wet clothes where they were sticking to his body.

"Tell me, Mr Gibbs, how is it that you know Captain Sparrow?"

"We go a long way back, lass. First met back when I was part of the Royal Navy."

While I knew that he'd been part of the navy at some point, I was having a little difficulty trying to see it in the man who was sat next to me. He laughed humourlessly as I eyed him none to subtly.

"I know what you're thinking, Miss. How is it that a guy like me who was sleeping with them pigs was once a respectable sailor?" Mr Gibbs spoke a little scathingly.

"Not at all," I replied in understanding. He looked a little surprised at my honest expression. He'd definitely thought that I was judging him. I never thought that Mr Gibbs would be insecure about what people think of him but here he was. Maybe it was because he could tell that I wasn't a pirate and so he thought that he'd be subject to my scrutiny? In all honesty I really couldn't care less. The man had a reason for becoming a pirate and it wasn't my place to judge him or his character. If he was as loyal as the Mr Gibbs that I knew from the films then that was good enough for me, pirate or not.

I was about to elaborate on what I truly thought about him when I noticed that Captain Sparrow had made his way over to our little alcove. Will had turned away to face the rest of the pub, seemingly resolutely keeping his back turned to me. At least, that's what it felt like. It may not have been that personal. He maybe just wanted to keep an eye on the Captain to make sure that he didn't desert us to the pirate port. My gut told me otherwise but it was a little comforting to entertain the other notion.

Before Captain Sparrow reached our table, he paused as he passed Will and turned back to him, placing a hand on his chest and getting into his personal space. He murmured something in the younger man's ear after which he wandered over to our table with a smug grin that screamed mischief.

He placed the two tankard down on the table, keeping his hand on one whilst Mr Gibbs practically dove for the other.

"Thanks for the drink," I muttered sarcastically as I realised that there wasn't one for me, not that I'd expected him to buy me one.

"You're welcome," Captain Sparrow replied equally as sarcastic. Glowering at him, I decided to waste his time a little more and strike up the conversation that I knew was annoying him.

"Mr Gibbs and I were just conversing about you and we came up with some theories," I lied before continuing hastily when both men made to speak.

"Captain Sparrow," I said sternly. "Did you get either of those women in the family way?" I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows, trying to exude disapproval. The mouthful of alcohol that the pirate had just taken was spat back out onto the table in shock.

"Course not!" He replied indignantly. His words were barely audible over Mr Gibbs laughter. At least somebody found me funny.

"Well then, what was it? I'm running out of theories here." Smiling innocently at him, I crossed my arms as I waited for him to tell me. I wasn't really all that bothered about knowing anymore. Something inside of me was merely taking enjoyment out of annoying him. It was surprisingly quite fun. Plus, now that I'd started, I didn't want to back down.

"Don't encourage her," he whined to Mr Gibbs who was trying to muffle his laughter in his tankard. "I promised marriage to Scarlett and didn't follow through, alright? Now shoo." He said to me resignedly whilst gesturing for me to leave. Giving him a look to that screamed 'I'm not stupid', I waited for him to give me the details that he'd omitted from his very brief overview.

"That's not all. I won't leave until I have the whole story," I replied, finally realising that he wasn't going to willingly give me any more. And there had to be more, there was no way that that was it.

With a sigh, he eyed me and Mr Gibbs wearily – who was now just as invested in the story as I was – before taking a long draught of his drink.

"I may have also promised to marry Giselle at the same time."

This time it was Mr Gibbs turn to spit out his drink.

"Mary, mother of God, Jack. You didn't?" He finally managed to choke out after spluttering.

Captain Sparrow replied with a shrug and took another casual sip of his drink as if he hadn't really done anything wrong.

"There's more to it, isn't there?" I finally piped up after thinking it over. How did the two women know each other? Surely he wasn't so stupid as to promise something as serious as marriage to women who resided in the same town? The pirate looked at me sharply, dark eyes narrowing and yet, he didn't answer.

"Oh you didn't," I said slowly parroting Mr Gibbs as I stared back at Captain Sparrow, not wanting to be right. His sheepish look gave him away. He really was that stupid.

"Oh, you did! That's awful, those poor women. You definitely deserved it and more." I said with a shrug. That just took the term 'fuck boy' to a whole new meaning for me.

"Pirate," he replied, pointing to himself.

Snatching his tankard away from him, I took a large gulp, needing something to take the edge off how shocked I was feeling. I immediately regretted it as soon as the rum burned the back of my throat. Who in their right mind ordered a pint of rum?

Clearing my throat, I tried not to show just how unprepared I was for the sudden onslaught of the spirit, as I stood up. Placing a hand on the Captain's shoulder – which he quickly shrugged off - I shook my head at him in disappointment. I could only hope that he'd learned his lesson.

"Thank you for keeping me entertained, Mr Gibbs. I'll leave you to get down to business," I said through a genuine small to the older man. He gave me a smile back. Turning to the scowling Captain, - Mr Gibbs was still laughing at him and the misfortune that he'd brought upon himself – I found that I was at a loss of what to say, so I said nothing and walked away.

Glancing over my shoulder as I walked to Will, I saw the two pirates bent over the table – heads practically touching – as Captain Sparrow started divulging his plan.

"Are you ok?" I asked Will once I was close enough to be heard. Jumping a little at my sudden appearance, he nodded in answer to me question.

"As well enough as anyone can be surrounded by this lot," he replied, gesturing to the patrons of the tavern. I snorted in agreement with him.

"Fair point."

"You seem well acquainted," he finally said after a beat of silence, nodding to where the two pirates were scheming. I was proud of him for actually bringing it up. I was beginning to think that I'd have to endure his silent disapproval for the rest of my time here. At least by talking about it, I could potentially regain one of the two steps backwards.

"I'm just trying to make the best out of the situation," I spoke honestly.

Will hummed, only half paying attention to the conversation. I don't think he even realised that he had his head turned in such a way to make it easier to eavesdrop on Captain Sparrow and Mr Gibbs's conversation.

Rolling my eyes at his lack of subtly, I settled in against the wall next to him and people watched. Sympathy came back in full force as I saw the barmaid struggling. I had half a mind to go and help her out. Just as I had resolved to make my way over there, Will's head whipped to face the pirates. Just as quick he turned back around although his face had gone quite pale. He'd clearly heard something that wasn't sitting well with him.

"Are you sure that you're ok?" I asked of him, knowing full well that he wasn't.

Will didn't answer me. A heavily drunk woman was cackling away as she tried to flirt with him. Pushing herself up against him, she succeeded in nudging him into my side. Although, by the looks of how uncomfortable he was, it was not so much as her moving him as it was him creating some distance between them.

When she finally looked passed him and caught sight of me, she stopped the awful cackle. I raised an eyebrow as she scowled at me. All too soon, I was forgotten as she remembered the drink in her hand. While she was busy draining her mug a man came over and took her by the shoulders, leading her away. Realising that the tankard was now empty she managed to steer him in the direction of the bar. Drunk people tended to be easily distracted and this time it proved to be rather useful.

I looked back over at Will. Despite looking a little shaken and pale, he was ok. It would take more than that to scare him off. Hearing the thunk of metal clanging together behind us, Will and I both looked back at the two pirates who had finally come to an agreement. They slammed their tankards on the table and rose.

Without so much as a farewell, Mr Gibbs disappeared amongst the melee whilst Captain Sparrow made his way over to us.

"Now that's settled, it's back to the Interceptor. Don't want her being stolen, savvy?" He winked at Will as he again reminded us that we were deep in the middle of a pirate port. It would stupid of us to leave the ship there unattended thinking that nobody would steal it. In fact, as we moved further away from town, I mused that it'd actually be a miracle if she was still in the port where we docked her.

Making sure that I stayed close to the two men – I had been right when I thought that the townsfolk would get less inhibited the more inebriated they became – I pondered on what tomorrow would bring and whether I was ready to set sail again.

* * *

a/n: sorry for the late update. I was getting behind in my uni work so that took priority! Let us know what you think. As always, unedited. I won't lie, I wrote all of this half-asleep, so if it's not my best please keep that in mind. Until next time x


	16. An Amiable Chat

When we'd reached the Interceptor, Captain Sparrow had branched off from us as soon as we got below deck. He was muttering something about working out what supplies we needed for the next part of our journey. I was glad that somebody was doing it, I didn't particularly feel like inventorying, but then I liked the idea of running out of food whilst stranded in the middle of the ocean even less.

Will barely even acknowledged mine or the Captain's presence and wordlessly set about making himself a hammock to sleep on in the munitions cabin. I suppose that it was beneficial for the both of us in a way. He didn't want to speak to me or spend much time around me at the moment and he had the perfect excuse of being a gentleman by letting me have a cabin to myself. Although, he could just be a gentleman and not have an ulterior motive. My gut told me it was likely to be the former. Either way, it afforded me the solitary that I'd been craving and a distraction from the tense atmosphere between us.

Once I'd tried to settle down for the night, I found that I couldn't sleep again. My emotions were all over the place, grief battling with homesickness. After tossing and turning on the thin mattress for around half an hour, I declared sleep a lost cause. I snatched up my pyjamas from the satchel, made myself some tea before padding barefoot up onto the top deck where I could get some fresh air.

As I stared out at the moons reflection on the calm sea the tears finally began to fall. Being in Tortuga and its stark reminders of home had hit me harder than I had initially thought. Not only was I grieving for the loss of Mr Ainsworth, I was grieving for the loss of my home. I missed my best friend and I didn't know for sure if I'd ever get back to her.

I truly thought that I was coming to terms with being thrust upon this world where I was a complete stranger. But as I clutched my pyjamas to my chest – the comforting smell of home had long since been erased – I realised just how deluded I had been. Full body shaking sobs racked my frame, causing me to sink to my knees.

It was odd that Tortuga of all places was the instigator of my intense breakdown. Once I looked passed the sheer depravity and the awful guns and fights it really wasn't too dissimilar from home. I worked in a bar with Amy just like where we'd been tonight. Drunkards clinging to one another and singing together were comforting yet painful reminders after being away for so long.

Despite thinking that I was really trying my best in the circumstances, I was struggling. I could admit that freely in my solitude. In just over a month I'd managed to accumulate enough emotional traumas to need more than a lifetime of therapy. And not only was I emotionally scarred, I was physically scarred as well.

To top it all off, I still had too many unanswered questions. Why was I really here? Why was this _my_ destiny and nobody else's? It didn't make any sense to me and it made me miss Amy even more. She may not have the answers that I seek but she always knew just how to make me feel better.

Resting the back of my head against the railings, I tried to control myself. Although it was a good release – and a very much needed one at that – crying wouldn't solve anything. It definitely wouldn't solve the situation I was in.

Staring blankly ahead, I listened as the town carried on regardless of the fact that it had brought me too my knees. Pirates were still firing shots into the air. They didn't bother me as much now; the large amount that I'd heard in such a small amount of time had a kind of numbing effect on me. Fires burned, lighting the cobbles and pathways winding throughout the taverns and inns. Laughter and screams grew in crescendo. I idly wondered when –if – the noise would die down and the inhabitants would drop off into sleep.

A crash followed by a slurred curse from the lower deck interrupted my wonderings. Turning my head I saw Captain Sparrow stumbling up the ladder and out of the hatch. He must have fallen over something in the kitchen. Bemusedly I remembered that I'd left the lid of the fresh water barrel on the floor.

The man was up to something. He had that mischievous look on his face and he kept checking around the ship and down the ladder, presumably to see if we'd heard his blunder. Unluckily for him, he didn't see me slumped down on the top deck. It was a nice distraction watching him try to be sneaky as he swaggered over to lower the gangplank. I'd had enough of pitying myself and wanted something to take my mind away from it.

Just as he was about to step foot onto the plank and head back into town, I decided to let him know that he'd been caught in the act.

"Not running out on us, are you?" I questioned, voice rough from crying.

Captain Sparrow froze comically before whirling round trying to find me. As soon as his eyes narrowed in on my hunched form I smirked and gave him a half-hearted wave.

"Me? Run? Of Course not," he finally replied indignantly as he stepped back onto the ship. "What are you doing up?"

"What does it look like?" I rolled my eyes at him. What a stupid question. "I couldn't sleep."

The Captain scrutinised me for a moment before making his way over to where I was sitting. I promptly tucked my pyjamas under my shirt, the silky fabric a welcoming feel after coping with scratchy cotton for so long.

Once he reached me he stood looking down at me for a few seconds, no doubt taking in my red eyes and tear stained face, before sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Tortuga a bit too much for you?" He spoke quietly. I was so surprised at this sudden change in disposition that I could only shake my head. It wasn't Tortuga that was too much; it was this whole time in general.

"Just," I paused as I tried to search for the right words. I was suddenly very interested in my dirty fingernails. "Just missing home," I finally rushed out. It was a little embarrassing admitting this weakness to a man like Captain Sparrow.

He opened his mouth to reply but I cut in before he could actually say anything.

"I don't need your pity, nor do I need any advice. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to come with you guys."

"Are you sure, lass?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I snapped. I didn't want to have a repeat of my conversation with Will from this morning.

We sat in silence for a little while. Rather than staring at my companion who seemed perfectly at ease, I turned my gaze to the sky. The lack of light pollution meant that it really was a sight to behold. There were so many stars shining bright and it was quite soothing to do nothing but sit and watch them.

"I saw you earlier."

I immediately stiffened at Captain Sparrow's teasing tone. Not turning my gaze away from the sky, I replied to the stars.

"Considering that I was with you for the majority of the evening, I'm going to need you to be more specific than that."

"When we got off the ship," he drawled. I could feel my cheeks starting to go red.

"Thought I'd gotten away with that," I finally replied, knowing instantly that he was referring to my dramatic elation at being on solid ground.

"Do you make a habit of kissing the floor?"

"I didn't actually kiss it, you know," I shot back indignantly. I was keen to preserve a small shred of dignity. "Anyway, why bring it up now? You've had loads of opportunities to use it against me this evening."

"Figured you could use a break," Captain Sparrow replied simply. I smiled a little at how thoughtful that actually was.

We sat together in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sounds coming from the town. I wasn't sure if I was becoming used to it or if it was growing infinitesimally quieter. Eventually I broke the quiet, in need of some reassurance.

"By any chance, are you willing to forget that it happened?" I questioned, holding onto the hope that I could maintain some dignity on the voyage.

"No."

"Please?"

"Not a chance."

"Why not?"

"Pirate," Captain Sparrow said with a shrug. If our previous interactions were anything to go by, he seemed to use that word as an all-encompassing excuse for his behaviour. It was going to wear thin pretty quick.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to accept the fact that at some point my actions were going to come back to haunt me. I could only hope that when the time came it wouldn't be too embarrassing for me.

Then I remembered that I had something that I could use as ammunition against him. I didn't particularly want to, I was quite offended by his actions and it wasn't a source of amusement, but if it helped to maintain any dignity that I had left then I was going to use it.

 _So much for being a good person,_ I thought to myself as I watched the constellations above.

"What if I happened to tell the crew that the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow had promised marriage to not one but two women?" I said with a fake smirk. Internally I was grimacing at the thought of using this as blackmail.

Captain Sparrow narrowed his eyes at me before settling back into his unconcerned persona. It happened so quickly that I was unsure if he'd even reacted at all.

"That won't be a problem, lass," he said, shrugging. The false smirk dropped from my face.

"Why not?" I questioned almost petulantly. Even though I wasn't in favour of using his horrible behaviour as blackmail, I was positive that it would work. I figured that his reputation as a bachelor whose only love was the sea meant too much to him. Too see that he wasn't outwardly fazed by it was a bit disconcerting.

"Two reasons," he replied simply.

When he didn't elaborate further, I sighed in irritation. _Now who's being the annoying one?_

"Which are…" I prompted after huffing impatiently.

"One, it's something that a pirate would do anyway. No shame in that."

"And the second reason?" I questioned warily.

"I'm the Captain, savvy," he said smirking down at me and making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, I could order you not to saying anything. Or, I could just lock you in the brig," Captain Sparrow declared, acting self-righteous.

I stayed silent whilst I thought over his statements and tried to work out what he was doing. I had a feeling that he was trying to figure me out again and depending on how I answered his question would ether confirm or disprove his current theory, whatever that was.

If I wanted to blend in with the crew and hopefully gain Captain Sparrows trust, I was going to have to follow orders and prove myself. I also didn't really fancy being locked in the brig, although there was a part of me that was a little curious as to what that would be like.

"Your threats wouldn't stop me from telling anyone though," I finally settled on. As I said it, I realised that it was the truth. If he was going to embarrass me, it's highly likely that I'd lash out regardless of the consequences.

Captain Sparrow quirked one side of his mouth up in half a smile, seemingly pleased by my answer. Silently, I berated myself. I was supposed to be an enigma not proving his theories right and helping him on his merry way to discovering my secret.

"You're an odd woman, Miss Fenn."

Rather than delve into the meaning behind his words I decided to take a leaf out of his book and do the unexpected.

"So I've graduated to odd from annoying?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, you're still annoying," he replied as he chuckled.

"Ah, so I'm just adding to my repertoire, got it," I said as I nodded my head slowly.

Captain Sparrow's chuckle turned into a proper laugh and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

When he had eventually calmed down he started rummaging around the inside of his coat and produced a flask. I knew that it was rum without even having to guess. Taking a swig, he didn't flinch as the spirit hit the back of his throat. That stuff burned like crazy it was so strong. I marvelled at how he was able to drink it without even reacting.

Before he could put the flask back and without really thinking about it, I snatched it from his hands and took a long gulp of my own, wincing at the burn.

"Oi!" Captain Sparrow all but shouted before plucking it back from my grip and hiding it in his coat. Laughing at his reaction, I waited to see if he'd say anything else. I wasn't about to apologise for my actions. It was something that I used to do with Amy all the time and vice versa. The easy banter between the Captain and I tonight reminded me of the almost effortless friendship I had with my best friend and I wanted to see just how far the similarities would extend.

To my dismay, Captain Sparrow gave me a dirty look before standing up muttering to himself about women and rum and how we're not to be trusted when put together. I snorted a little at just how accurate he was. He was going to be in for a big shock when he meets Lizzy.

 _If we make it in time_ my insecurities supplied, making me anxious once again. I was fed up of having to constantly reassure myself that everything was going to be ok. We would follow the events as I knew them and I would make it home.

Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, and the loss of warmth that had settled on my chest since Captain Sparrow had unknowingly comforted me, I found that I was beginning to panic the further he stepped away from me.

"Can I ask you something? It's been bothering me for a short while now," I began, hoping that I sounded a little mysterious and that it would draw him back into a conversation with me. The Captain froze mid-step before turning around on his heel to look at me. When he didn't say anything I carried on, knowing that I had him hooked. He was just as nosey as I was.

"You saw me the other day on the pier, hiding behind the barrels. Why didn't you say anything?" The day felt like a lifetime ago but it in reality it had only been about three days and between certain events that I still couldn't bring myself to think of and my seasickness I'd found myself wondering why he hadn't spoken up when I was the perfect get away excuse.

I shuffled over to the steps leading to the lower deck and sat on the top one whilst he stood in silence and stroked his goatee as he deliberated what to do. With one last – almost mournful – look in the direction of town he walked over and sat on the step where I was resting my feet.

"I was curious, lass. I wanted to see what you'd do; it's not every day you see someone eavesdropping like that," Captain Sparrow admitted as I looked down at him. I was surprised by his answer. I didn't know what exactly I had been expecting him to say but it certainly wasn't that.

Sighing wistfully, I leant my elbow on my knee and rested my chin in my palm.

"I've always been too curious for my own good. It's never done me any favours," I replied frankly. I was done lying if I could avoid it. Before I could fully evaluate the repercussions and talk myself out of it, I carried on speaking.

"I knew that I shouldn't have followed you but you were just so interesting. Not much happens in Port Royal as I'm sure you've guessed. To see someone like you turn up and stride down the pier towards the Interceptor as if you owned it, well, you had me intrigued. Of course I wanted to find out more."

Captain Sparrow leant back on his elbows as he listened to me ramble on. To his credit he didn't look bored so I took that as a win. I knew that when I started to ramble, I could sometimes get boring very quickly. He smirked a little when I said that he intrigued me but I paid it no mind. If what I thought he was thinking was true then he needed to get his mind out of the gutter.

"So this is more than just saving young William's fair lady. You wanted a little adventure," he replied.

I had to give it to him; he wasn't that far off in his thinking, as disturbing as that might be. I didn't particularly want adventure - that was just a bonus and one of the better things that I'd be taking away from this mission – I just didn't have a choice but to come.

"I suppose you're right." I sighed in resignation. I was beginning to tire now. "Plus, there wasn't anything tying me to Port Royal after meeting you."

"Have you not got any family to think of?"

Bristling at his comment, I tried to word my answer as honestly as I could without giving away the whole truth.

"I left my best friend and her mum – the only mum I've ever known really – behind in England when I came for the job in Port Royal and now I don't even have that." I sighed again, disappointed in myself for revealing more than I thought I should have. It was too late now though; I couldn't take any of it back. _So much for being careful around him._

"You got fired?"

"I got fired," I confirmed. "It was my own fault, I knew I shouldn't have followed you." I said with a little smile. Shrugging my shoulders I tried to show that it didn't concern me. The truth was though that it did concern me. I'd never been fired before and even though it wasn't in my own timeline it still stung. It definitely wasn't something that I wanted to complete.

"And now you've heard the call of the ocean and decided to broaden your horizons," Captain Sparrow uttered far too energetically as he stretched out his arms to sweep over the sea. Chuckling a little at his dramatic personality, I stifled a yawn as I shook my head fondly.

"Although, without a steady supply of ginger, you're about useless on a ship," he carried on making me smile even wider which was why I was all the more surprised by what quietly fell from my lips in response.

"I want to go home, Jack."

I stiffened in shock, partly from my honest admission and partly from using his first name. Now that I'd said it, I found that I quite liked it. It was a lot easier and quicker than just referring to him as Captain Sparrow, even if it did feel foreign on my tongue.

There was something about the night that drew my reservations away. What did it matter if I was friendly or even friends with Captain Sparrow? What did it matter if I called him Jack? I'd been thinking that by distancing myself from him, I wouldn't feel as bad about manipulating him. But what if I didn't actually need to manipulate him at all? What if he could tell me what I needed to know of his own free will when he was ready? Sure it would take longer – and increase the risk of death by hurricane/voodoo or whatever – but I'd definitely feel better if I went about it this way. Besides, if tonight had shown me anything it was that Jack Sparrow and I could get on like a house on fire. It was a nice change from the complicated acquaintance with Will at any rate.

A small part of me knew that I was being selfish gathering all of these people as close as I could but the people pleaser side of me was larger and overruled the small doubts in my character.

I was leaving once this whole thing was over. And sure it would hurt to lose friends but I'd be able to look back on these memories fondly and reminisce that I made the most of the unique opportunity that I had been thrust upon me.

Coming to this revelation had barely taken any time and I tuned in just as Jack looked up at me with that infuriatingly blank expression and patted my knee almost pityingly. Irritation flooded through me. God I was an emotional mess tonight.

"I told you before that I don't need your pity," I snapped as I withdrew my leg from his touch. He raised his hands in defence as if to suggest that he hadn't meant any harm and I simmered down almost as quick as I had fired up.

"I didn't mean any harm, Miss Fenn." Jack replied.

"Arabella. It's only fair," I stated as I rolled my eyes. Might as well try and get him out of that habit too. Miss Fenn was far too stifling for my tastes. Jack nodded with a little smile settling on his lips and he tipped his hat in mock greeting.

"If you want to go home, lass, why don't you?"

"I don't have the means," I said, not willing to be any more honest than that.

"Ah, that poses a problem."

I hummed in agreement. Stifling yet another yawn, I revelled in how for a short time Jack had made me feel better but now all I wanted was to be left alone again. Counting to ten, I watched the stars shinning bright above me before breaking the silence and slicing through the calm mood that had settled in around us. Slapping my thighs I stood up, being careful to hold onto my pyjamas still stuffed under my shirt. Jack followed my lead, and let me pass him on the stairs before descending behind me.

"It's my problem to figure out," I eventually said. "Go and have your fun." I finished with a flourish of my hand in the direction of town.

"Aren't you worried that I'll desert you, love?" He replied with a quirk of his brow. His words were negated by the fact that he was steadily walking backwards towards the gangplank.

"I know that you're a man of your word, Jack. I trust that you'll come back. If not tonight, then definitely in the morning." I smiled at him to show that I truly meant what I said.

Jack tipped his hat before bounding gleefully down the gangplank and swaggering down the pier into the heart of Tortuga. As I watched him leave, hope began kindling in my chest that this was the first step towards a mutual trust between us. Shaking my head, I turned away and made my way back to my cabin to try and sleep for the second time.

* * *

 **A/N: Just a quick one today. All my time has been spent studying and I've barely had any time to write. Sorry for the short and - as always - unedited chapter. I wrote it in about 2 hours. Let me know what you think of the dynamic between Arabella and Jack. I don't know when the next update is likely to be. Most likely some point within the next two weeks. Your comments keep me going, until next time x**


	17. An Able-Bodied Crew

"Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt and crazy to boot," Mr Gibbs boasted.

Will and I looked down the line of people disdainfully. First impressions are usually lasting and if I didn't already have the knowledge of just how capable the crew should be, I'd be inclined to disagree with Mr Gibbs's flattery. As it was, just gazing at the rag-tag crew that had been thrust together to await inspection from Jack was not filling me with as much reassurance as I would have liked.

"So this is your able-bodied crew?" Will muttered in disbelief. He really didn't sound impressed as we wandered down the line of people.

Jack didn't respond to Will's blatant scepticism. He eyed every person with a blank look of calculation upon his face. I'd hoped that I'd get to see him suffering this morning, deep in the throes of a hangover. But despite the fact that he'd sauntered back onto the ship just as dawn was breaking, he looked as bright eyed as ever. I wouldn't have even known that he'd come back at all if he hadn't tripped over the lid of the water barrel again, effectively waking me up. I was seething at having my sleep cut short after having precious little, although it was very amusing to hear him let out a string of curses that would have made another pirate blush.

"You, sailor!" Jack suddenly halted and turned to look at an older man with a brightly coloured parrot perched on his shoulder.

"Cotton, sir," Mr Gibbs supplied.

Jack didn't seem to find it odd that his First Mate replied instead of the man whom he was actually talking to. It made me wonder if he was more affected by the drab line-up than he'd let on. Perhaps he felt like they were scrapping the bottom of the barrel when it came to pirates willing to sail under his command. This definitely appeared to be Will's opinion judging from his expression.

"Mr Cotton. Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" As he spoke, he stepped closer to Mr Cotton and his parrot, eyeing him dangerously. Without giving him a chance to speak, Jack carried on. Maybe he did find it odd after all.

"Mr Cotton! Answer man!" Jack all but shouted. Mr Cotton didn't even blink at the slightly enraged tone. He merely looked unconcernedly at Mr Gibbs as if to say _'you're going to have to deal with this'_.

"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he trained the parrot to talk for him." Mr Gibbs rushed to say. "No one's yet figured out how," he tagged on contemplatively.

Mr Cotton was more than happy to corroborate Mr Gibbs's tale by opening his mouth as widely as he could and wiggling the stump that was left of his tongue. Jack and Will simultaneously reeled away from the sight. I tried not to be as visible with my horror. Even though I knew that it was coming, it still hadn't prepared me for seeing the actual thing and my body hummed in sympathy for the poor man.

Jack made to move along the line. He took one step before his curiosity drew him back.

"Mr Cotton's…parrot," he faltered. "Same question."

The bird gave a loud squawk before uttering quickly, "wind in the sails, wind in the sails." Everyone turned to look at the parrot in surprise except Mr Cotton and Mr Gibbs who had evidently heard the parrot speak before.

"Mostly, we figure, that means yes," Mr Gibbs said rather sheepishly.

"Of course it does!" Jack firmly replied. "Satisfied?" He asked of Will, turning round to look at him. When his gaze slid over to me, I offered a small nod of agreement.

"Well, you've proved they're mad," Will muttered back, not sounding very satisfied in the slightest. I really couldn't blame him. If I were in his boat, I'd be prematurely mourning for the loss of Elizabeth at this very moment.

Jack looked up and down the line-up frowning like he was trying to see what the problem was when a voice from the far end spoke up.

"And what's the benefit for us?"

Jack bent down as he cautiously crept towards Anamaria who had hidden her face with an oversized hat. Hiding a smile, I kept a step back from the men and watched things play out.

The closer Jack got to Anamaria, the slower he walked and further down he bent at the waist. Finally he reached her and with a small show of trepidation he peered underneath the brim of the hat before removing it with a flourish.

Anamaria's stern face greeted him as her hair tumbled from its confines. He barely had time to say her name in a low and seductive tone before his face was whipped round towards Will and I from the force of her slap.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" Will scornfully asked of him as I moved my fist up to my mouth to hide my grin.

Jack didn't waste any time trying to look innocent. He resignedly looked at us both before saying, "no, that one I deserved," and then turned his regretful gaze to the wooden pier below our feet.

Anamaria nodded vigorously behind him, satisfied with his answer.

"You stole my boat!" She said intensely, her words unintentionally forming a rhythm.

"Actually…" Jack whirled up to correct her but didn't get more than the one word out before another brutal slap collided with his red cheek and forced him back round to us. He opened his mouth a couple of times in resemblance of a fish before he found the words that he was searching for.

"Borrowed, borrowed without permission," Jack finally said with a cheeky smile. I raised my eyebrows at his audacity. Anamaria definitely did not look like someone to go up against. She was a force to be reckoned with and if Jack wasn't careful he was going to get burned.

"But with every intention of bringing it back to you," he carried on in a placating tone. If he was hoping to calm her, he had gone the wrong way about it. He'd managed to ignite her flame of anger further.

"But you didn't!" Anamaria shouted in his face. Will, Mr Gibbs and I leaned back a little in surprise at the fury emanating from the woman. Jack remained steadfast in the midst of it, giving me the impression that he'd gone up against his fair share of scorned women in a similar fashion before.

"You'll get another one," he offered with another grin which hastily dropped as Anamaria menacingly pointed her finger at his face.

"I will," she said chillingly.

"A better one," Will added, clearly looking to resolve the dispute quickly.

"A better one!" Jack parroted, cottoning on to Will's idea whilst giving Anamaria the biggest smile I'd ever seen. I laughed lightly at his hopeful expression before joining in.

"That one," I said happily, leaning around Jack to point at the Interceptor.

"What one?" Jack turned to face me, saw where my hand was pointing and gave me an incredulous look.

"That one!" He spat in my face. I raised my eyebrows at him hoping he'd get the hint. His eyed widened minutely before twisting around again to face Anamaria and nodding genially.

"Aye, that one. What say you?"

The fierce woman raised her hand up to her chin contemplatively, letting Jack stew uncomfortably for a moment before raising her voice and shouting, "aye!" The rest of the men joined in with a shout of their own before moving down the pier to start loading supplies.

"Anchors aweigh," Mr Cotton's parrot squawked as they moved.

Jack turned to narrow his eyes at the parrot, something about it seemed to be getting on his nerves. It was then that I noticed the banana clutched in Jack's hand. I hadn't seen him pick it up, but from the way he was holding it, it was clear that he'd be planning on using it as a means of defence. Most likely in case of Anamaria going in for another slap, although what protection a banana would offer I had no idea. I was unable to hold in my spluttering laughter at Jack's bizarreness.

As my laughter died down, I noticed Jack glaring at me indignantly, whilst Mr Gibbs was pleading with him, not happy that I was obviously laughing at him.

"It's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir, let alone two!" The superstitious Mr Gibbs said fearfully.

"It'd be far worse not to have her," Jack replied in reference to Anamaria. "Miss Fenn on the other hand…" he trailed off as his frown morphed into a smirk full of mischief. My grin dropped at his unspoken implication.

"Oh no you don't," I started firmly as I glared at him.

Maddeningly the only purpose it served was to make his mischievous smirk grow.

 _Why can't I have a stare like Anamaria's? One where men wither under the power of it._

I internally lamented. My height probably had a lot to do with it. Being short had a lot of downfalls. Shaking off my thoughts, I tried to channel Anamaria's sternness.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." With that being said I took a hold of Mr Gibbs's arm and dragged him down the pier towards the Interceptor, leaving Will alone with Jack. I didn't have any doubts that Will wouldn't approve of my actions, but I pushed that to the back of my mind. I could deal with that later.

"You know, Joshameee - I can call you Joshamee can't I?" I said quickly. Mr Gibbs gave me a small nod, looking extremely bewildered and as though he were trying to figure out why I was dragging him along. I was quite surprised that he hadn't stopped me yet; he was more than strong enough to do so.

"I thought we were friends, and yet here you are not wanting to spend time with me. I think I'm quite hurt," I carried on with the best unconcerned tone that I could muster, trying to mess with the man a little. I was still a bit put out by Jack's words and wanted some light-heartedness to counteract the realisation that had dawned on me when he'd said them aloud.

I couldn't sail. I didn't have any knowledge of being at sea and with my seasickness I was just about useless. When I looked at it from this perspective, why would they bother to keep me on board when I'd just get in the way? I'd had inklings of these doubts before today but I'd pushed them away and chalked it up to irrational fears, but Jacks words had unintentionally opened the dam. With the floodgates down my anxiety was steadily overflowing, taking over my more rational side.

Mr Gibbs spluttered a little bit as he tried to form a coherent reply. I knew I'd spoken completely out of turn; I'd only just met the guy yesterday. Of course we weren't friends. We were barely even acquaintances.

"I'm only joking," I said quietly, deciding to put him out of his misery. He breathed a quick sigh of relief before helping me board the Interceptor.

"It's not that I don't like you, Miss Arabella. You seem like a lovely woman." Mr Gibbs spoke up as we meandered our way past the crew loading all of the supplies. I looked at him to prompt him to continue speaking, sensing an unspoken 'but' at the end of his sentence.

"I tried to talk Jack out of letting you come with us on this venture last night," he finally admitted. That was not what I had been expecting.

"You did what? Why?" It was my turn to splutter out a reply. Anger was readily pouring through my veins.

I began to wonder if it was always going to be like this until I finally left this godforsaken century behind. On top of having to deal with my own doubts and insecurities, I had to deal with people not wanting me around and ultimately preventing me from trying to complete the stupid mission.

 _Why does everything have to be such a bloody challenge?_

"Like I said before, it's bad luck to have a woman on board, particularly a red-head," Mr Gibbs said looking at me wearily, sensing my turbulent emotions.

"How on Earth does my hair colour factor into bad luck?" I replied incredulously, my voice starting to take on a steady cold tone as I tried to keep my rising anger at bay. Before he could say anything, I carried on. I had a sudden need to tell him just how stupid his superstitions were.

"And what do you base these superstitions on, Mr Gibbs?" I asked of him, taking a step closer. He flinched a little at the coldness in my voice.

 _At least someone finds you intimidating_. A little vicious voice murmured in the back of my head, reminding me of how ineffective I'd been against Jack Sparrow.

"Well…I…you see…"

"No, I don't see. From where I'm standing it looks as though you believe false tales that not even a child would believe. I suppose these were told you by other sailors and have no solid basis on which to state your reasoning? Well, if that is the case, then I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Mr Gibbs, but you've fallen victim to a prank. Either that or you're more naïve than I thought you were. If Jack Sparrow isn't worried about having me on board, then why should you be?" I spat out, my jaw clenching.

Mr Gibbs had the grace to look like a scolded school boy with the tiniest hint of sorrow shining through his eyes. I knew I'd been far too harsh on him. He was a superstitious man and besides, everyone is entitled to their fears. My insecurities were yet again making me lash out irrationally and he hadn't deserved the verbal dressing down I'd just given him.

Sighing, I rubbed my forehead, idly noting that my arms were turning pink from the sun. The look in his face, like I'd slapped him harder than any that Jack had received, deflated my anger instantly, remorse flowing through to take its place.

"I'm sorry, Mr Gibbs," I murmured, looking at him in earnest. "I didn't mean that. I'm just…this is just…it's all so new to me," I tried in vain to find the right words. Nothing seemed to be good enough and I knew that it was going to take more than an apology to make things right.

"This is all coming out wrong," I growled, and tugged at my cap. "I'm so sorry. I'm nervous about the journey, I don't exactly travel well. And this, being at sea and surrounded by pirates, it's all so new and overwhelming to me. I know it's no excuse to have treated you like that however."

Mr Gibbs nodded his acceptance of my apology and patted my arm, though I could see that the effect of my words was lingering. "It's ok Miss, Arabella."

"No it's not, I shouldn't have belittled your fears like that," I replied, feeling completely rotten.

Casting my gaze to the floor, I cursed myself and my inability to stay quiet when in uncomfortable situations. Mr Gibbs gave me another pat on the arm, making my gaze jump back to his. With a small smile to show that no harm had been done, he quenched my guilt minutely. What Jack had done to deserve the loyalty and kindness of a man like Mr Gibbs, I didn't know, but I was incredibly grateful for it all the same now that I was once again on the receiving end of it.

Straightening out my slumped posture of defeat, I looked Mr Gibbs in the eyes, resolutely trying to ignore the twinge in my back and the silent warning that came with it to not take on anything too strenuous.

"What can I do to help around here? You're a talented sailor, I'm guessing, so who better than you to teach me?"

I tried not to make my wince visible at my close call of revealing too much, I waited with baited breath for his reply. If I was going to stay on this bloody ship until I had the answers that I needed, then it was imperative that I made sure that I was useful. Even though Jack had jokingly implied that I was better off on dry land, I had to do everything within my power to ensure that joke didn't become a reality.

Mr Gibbs shook his head almost despairingly, obviously at war with his fears, before smiling a little.

"I can teach you, if you're willing to learn."

Nodding eagerly, I couldn't help but beam back. "So, what's the first thing that I need to know?"

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for the long wait. Finally finished with uni until September so uploads should be back to once a week every Sunday night.**

 **I made the mistake of rereading this from the very beginning and honestly it was by far the most unmotivting thing I think I've ever done. It made me realise just how many irregularities and mistakes there have been throughout the 16 chapters.**

 **I'm committed to finishing this story though but I think after it's going to go through a major rewrite because I'm not particularly happy with it. Maybe I'm just being to harsh but I kind of expected a bit better of myself.**

 **Thanks for sticking around and as always don't forget to let me know what you thought/think to a rewrite.**

 **Until next time x**


	18. An Approaching Storm

**Surprise!? I'm off work for a week and with uni finished for the summer, I have a lot more time to write. I got this chapter finished in about a day and I just wanted to post it since I missed a couple of weeks this month.**

 **Hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think. Until next time x**

 **Light swearing in the chapter.**

* * *

It turns out the first thing that I needed to know was that Jack's word was essentially law whilst we were on the ship. It wasn't something that I was particularly comfortable with and more likely than not I'd end up disagreeing with the pirate captain.

So far he'd been quite infuriating at times and I wasn't the type to let someone get one over on me purely because it was the done thing. If Jack said something or was to do something that I disagreed with then I was going to tell him exactly what I thought, in front of the whole crew if I had to. Within reason of course, I couldn't exactly do anything to try and change the course of events. I'd been there, done that and reaped the consequences.

Whilst Mr Gibbs was informing me about the pirate code and why the right of parlay would be of most use, we tried to find a job that would be suitable for me. The crow's nest was the first point of call. Mr Gibbs had thought that I might be best off keeping watch from up there.

"It's minimal effort, and you'll be able to observe the goings on of the crew. It'll help you become more familiar with everything," he'd said enthusiastically, obviously thinking that he was onto a winner.

"Yeah, but it also looks like a death trap. No way are you getting me up there," was my less than enthusiastic response.

If Mr Gibbs was affronted by my unhappy demeanour, he didn't show it. I had taken one look at the crow's nest and my stomach had plummeted to my feet. I hadn't realised just how high up it actually was before and not only that, but the climb to get to it looked treacherous in itself. Not being the biggest fan of heights, in fact it was one of my more prevalent fears; I shot down this option straight away. I wanted to help, not risk my life climbing up to the very top of the ship.

And so we moved on. Mr Gibbs steered us over to where some crew members were pulling at a length of rope. As I followed it up, I saw that it was attached to one of the sails and the more they pulled the more the sail opened out to catch the breeze. I couldn't help but grimace to myself. It looked like a very physically demanded job, one that I wasn't sure I was up to especially whilst my back was still healing. But I was determined to prove myself and if this was a way to do it, then that was what I was going to do.

After Mr Gibbs had introduced me to the three crew members, two of which took no notice whilst the other one glared at me, he spoke of what they were doing and how it helped the ship to move whilst I grabbed onto the rope and began pulling.

Physically demanding was an understatement. The rope was surprisingly heavy and rough in my hands. They were sore already and I'd only been at it for about five minutes. Sweat was pouring down my face and the back of my neck. I dreaded to think what my hair looked like after being kept in the confines of my cap. My arms ached like crazy. I thought the maid's work that I had been doing at the house would have built up some endurance and muscle but this really put me to shame.

Letting the rope drop, I practically limped over to Mr Gibbs shaking my head. He took one look at me and I could tell that he agreed with my assessment. Being a rigger was definitely not for me.

We hadn't even been at sea for an hour and I was already exhausted from these so called lessons. I was sweaty and starting to get nauseous, not to mention thirsty. Groaning, I realised that I wouldn't be able to drink as readily as I'd been doing before. There were more people on the ship now which most likely meant that everything would be rationed until we next made port. Dejectedly I remembered that we wouldn't port anywhere where could get supplies for a very long time – at least, not until the whole Elizabeth being kidnapped fiasco was over. At which point I'd rather hoped that I'd be able to go home.

As Mr Gibbs prattled on once again about the code, I tuned out. Everywhere we went I heard whispering from the crew members and I wasn't immune to the stares that were being thrown my way. It seemed like Mr Gibbs wasn't the only superstitious person board. Either that or they weren't used to sailing with a woman. In which case surely Anamaria would have been getting her fair share of glances, but it felt like they were all directed at me.

"What was the Captain thinking, bringing her on board?" A rather grizzly looking man commented lowly to another as we passed.

"Dunno, from the looks of it she ain't sailed much," his friend sniffed disapprovingly. My cheeks flamed in response to being spoken about, but I tried not to let it get to me.

The heat was becoming unbearable, and combined with how sweaty I'd become, I needed something to take my mind off things. What I really wished for was a fan to just stick in front of my face and cool me down. The breeze wasn't really cutting it.

Taking of my hat, I used it to start fanning my face, my hair falling down my back and sticking uncomfortably.

Audible gasps sounded behind me and I turned to see what had happened.

Every eye was on me.

Immediately my cheeks flamed once again from the attention and the hand that was holding up my cap and fanning my face dropped to my side as though my bones had suddenly turned to lead. I felt like I couldn't breathe. You could have heard a pin drop from how silent it had become. Wildly, my eyes flickered about searching for something, anything that would take the attention away. I had no idea what I'd done to cause such a reaction but here I was, a deer caught in headlights.

"Get back to work you mangy dogs!" Jack shouted from the upper deck. Everyone immediately ran about and did as commanded, rapidly talking to one another once again.

Now that the attention was away from me, although I did feel a few eyes on my back, I felt like I could finally breathe. Taking a deep gulp in, I looked to Jack, hoping to express my gratitude but he was too busy looking down at his compass to notice.

Never in my life had anything like that happened to me, it was nerve wracking and incredibly bizarre. I turned to Mr Gibbs with the intention of asking what I had done to cause such a strong reaction. However, before I could inquire he beat me to it.

"Perhaps it's for the best if you just stay out of the way for a while," he said with a sympathetic gaze.

"What? Why?" I was so confused and I hadn't even been given a chance to get any answers yet.

"Just leave them be for a while, let them get over the shock," Mr Gibbs replied with a little smile.

"Shock? Over my hair?" I asked incredulously. "Surely it'd be better if I try and help? Even just speak to them?"

Confusion was steadily giving away to annoyance as he avoided answering just why everyone had reacted like that. I knew red-heads had a bad reputation in the past but I hadn't thought it would be this strong since the witch hunt craze had finished.

"Give them some space, lass. They'll come around soon enough." With that he walked away leaving me frustrated and increasingly nauseous.

Grumbling I walked over to the railing and watched the sea lapping at the side of the Interceptor as she domineeringly cut her way through. Once again I found myself lamenting over the fact that nothing was going to be easy or simple. I really needed some ginger tea but I made no move to go and get some. To do so I'd have to pass by a few of the crew members and I wasn't ready to face them whilst I was trying to reign in my temper due to their idiocy.

"They reckon it's bad luck." Anamaria had materialised beside me, leaning her back casually on the railings, hat drawn low over her eyes.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks." I said snappily.

She didn't deserve my attitude but I could still hear the whispering and feel their eyes watching my every move. That combined with Mr Gibbs's lack of explanation had soured my mood once again. It really was a turbulent day for my emotions. I could barely keep up with them myself.

To my surprise, instead of calling me out on my attitude, Anamaria laughed.

"You're going to need tougher skin than that if you're going to survive on here," she finally said after her laughter had died down. Raising an eyebrow at her, I waited for her to continue. I thought that I had a pretty tough skin before I came here but if recent events have proven anything to me, that was nothing compared to what these guys bring to the table. I still had nightmares about the Pearl's raid on Port Royal and I knew that it was visible on my face. I was haunted by it.

"These guys, men in general really, they like to tell a woman what to do. You don't seem like the type to just sit around and take orders," Anamaria added.

"No, I'm not," I replied firmly.

"Thought as much. I can recognise a kindred spirit when I see one. You had better be prepared for some tough shit blowing your way, or you won't make it through unscathed."

Though her words were harsh, I could sense the truth in them. Mr Gibbs may be correct in thinking that they'd come around to having me on board but I needed to prepare myself for an onslaught animosity just in case.

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind," I said giving her a smile, my anger tempering. Her words had definitely given me a lot to think about. I knew being in this time and the lack of rights for women would be a challenge to get used to but I hadn't expected it to be quite so hard.

"It doesn't explain why my hair colour is bad luck though," I eventually muttered, still feeling a little sour.

"You mean you really don't know?"

"Clearly not or I wouldn't be asking."

Anamaria looked at me curiously before turning around so that we were both facing out towards the ocean.

"Well, they think that you tricked them into…"

"How?" I cut in, immediately falling quiet when I caught her chilling glare.

"All of your hair was hidden. If they'd seen it before they boarded they would have spoken to you."

"What good would that have done?" I questioned, my mind reeling at how bizarre this superstition was.

"Supposedly if you speak to a red-head before you board a ship with them, it negates any bad luck."

"Of course it does, because that makes perfect sense," I muttered sarcastically, dropping my gaze back down to the sea. Anamaria huffed a little in agreement. Rubbing my forehead, I tried not to dwell on the fact that my nausea was worsening.

"How come you didn't know?"

I inwardly cursed at Anamaria's curiosity. I'd really been hoping that she wouldn't bring up my lack of knowledge. Taking a few moments, I tried to formulate a carefully worded reply that would be truthful without giving away too much.

"I guess you can blame my upbringing for that," I eventually began. "Before coming to Port Royal, I'd never been on a ship and I didn't exactly live near the sea. After the crossing I was just too busy to pay any attention to silly tales like that. Kind of wish I had now though, it would have saved me some trouble."

Anamaria nodded as though my tale made sense and I felt something loosen around my chest in relief.

"I should get back to work," she said, glancing around and glaring at some of the crew who were looking in our direction. "Take Mr Gibbs's advice though. Stay out of the way for a while and let them cool down a bit before throwing yourself in head first." I nodded as she walked away, wondering just how loud my conversation with Mr Gibbs had been for her to have overheard. Deciding that there was no use dwelling on it now, I cast the thought from my mind.

I really needed some ginger tea or I was going to throw up soon. A quick glance around the deck showed at least six crew members were standing in the way of the hatch to get downstairs. Try as I might, I couldn't get my anger to simmer down enough to walk past them. Instead I decided to skirt along the railings and head up to where I knew the stares and whispers wouldn't follow me.

Stomping up to the upper deck, I sat down with a huff on a barrel, turning my back to the ship and her crew. I'd caught sight of Jack's bemused gaze as I'd walked up and I fought the urge to childishly stick my tongue out at him. It wouldn't accomplish much and I doubt that it'd make me feel better.

Just as I leant my forehead against the railings once again so that I could look down at the slip stream we were leaving behind, I jumped as Jack shouted for Mr Gibbs. Not having it in me to be nosey, I tuned out their whispering. I probably wouldn't have even been able to hear them if I wanted to. They were both surprisingly soft spoken at times.

As I rested there, trying to shield my exposed arms from the sun, I was at war with myself. I didn't particularly want to move and yet I was going to need the tea sooner rather than later, especially with the incoming storm. If I wanted to maintain any semblance of dignity I was going to need the ginger's soothing comforts.

Already I could feel the sea starting to become choppier, the gentle rocking of the ship more agitated. If I was like this whilst the sea was calm, it didn't bode well for me in a couple of hours once the storm truly hit.

Groaning, I realised that this was going to be one of the worst journey's I'd ever been on.

The sound of someone clearing their throat drew my attention away from my self-pity. Looking up, I saw a small man stood a little distance away. Marty the Midget.

"Cap'n said you'd be wanting this," Marty said quietly. In his hands was a steaming cup of tea. I could smell the ginger floating on the breeze towards me. My saviour.

"Oh, thank you!" I gratefully reached out as he tentatively stepped forwards and took the china cup from his hands. Inhaling the sharp scent deeply, I could immediately feel my nausea lesson slightly. Knowing from experience that it'd be too hot to drink straight away, I nursed it in my lap.

"What you be needing it for, Miss?" Marty asked, scuffing his feet on the deck looking uncomfortable. I sighed as I realised that he too was struggling to see past the bad omen that's apparently my hair. At least he was trying to make conversation though. Brownie points for effort.

"Arabella, please." I really was getting sick of the whole "miss" thing. I knew it was just the custom of the time but it was so stifling and it grated on my nerves. When Marty didn't reciprocate with his name, I knew I was going to have to ask him before answering his question in order to keep up appearances. It was beginning to make my head hurt trying to keep up with everything that I had to remember, I was surprised that I hadn't had a major slip up yet.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to keep my tone kind so that he wouldn't run for the hills thinking that I'd cursed him even more so with my bad luck.

"Marty," he finally grumbled. I could tell as soon as he answered that this had been the wrong thing to ask of him. Surprisingly though, he'd told me the truth even though he clearly wasn't comfortable having me know his name.

"Well Marty, I need the tea because without it I get really sick." Lifting the cup up, I gave him a silent 'cheers' before taking a sip. Without another word, Marty turned on his heel and walked back down to the lower deck. It seemed like his courage had finally waned.

With him gone, I was finally left to nurse my tea in peace, a sense of calm washing over me as the nausea began to abate. As I sipped, I idly noticed that the temperature was starting to drop and a cold shiver made its way down my spine, contrasting with the warmth pooling in my stomach from the tea.

When I finally felt stable enough to stand without getting dizzy or reigniting the nausea, I wrapped both hands securely around the cup, coveting the heat. The small drop in temperature was more noticeable now that I was being buffeted by the breeze. Looking out on the horizon, I could see that we were heading for some of the darkest clouds I'd seen for a long while and if I squinted I was sure that I could see rain falling. My heart ironically leapt for joy at the sight. Despite the fear I felt at being caught in a storm on a ship, I was elated at finally seeing some rain.

A small smile sat on my lips as I made my way over to where Jack was stood at the giant wheel. He'd been staring alternately at the storm and his compass. Snapping it shut when I came to stand next to him, he tried to hide it from my view. I shook my head slightly at what I assumed was distrust, trying to figure out where his thoughts lay. It occurred to me as we stood next to each other, neither of us speaking, that he was most likely thinking about how close they were to his beloved Pearl.

The ship gave an unsteady lurch and my shoulder brushed across his bicep as I tried to stay on two feet. It gave me the push I needed to break the silence.

"Thank you," I said, lifting the tea cup a little so that he could see what I was referring too before taking another sip. It had cooled down enough now to drink properly but I had found myself wanting to savour it. I was also hoping that he'd read into my gratitude a bit more and realise that I was also thanking him for getting me out of the awkward situation not too long ago.

"Looked like you needed it," he replied simply. If he got my unspoken hint he didn't acknowledge it.

"Yeah, I was so busy trying to find something that I could actually do to help around here that I forgot. And when I finally remembered, well, you saw what happened."

Jack hummed in agreement, keeping his gaze on the stormy horizon that we were rapidly approaching. Once again we lapsed into a comfortable silence as I drained the last of my tea, feeling slightly mournful that it was all gone. It really had been kind of him to remember.

As we stood there, Jack occasionally turning the wheel ever so slightly in accordance to where the compass was directing him, I felt the wind begin to pick up and the sea become rougher. The ship was lurching to and fro now with the growing swells forcing me to plant my feet further apart in order to try and keep my wavering balance. Dragging my eyes across the crew scurrying around the ship, securing everything in preparation for the storm, I saw that they were doing the same. It gave me a small sense of comfort to know that I wasn't the only one struggling.

Suddenly the ship gave another unexpected lurch. Not being prepared in the slightest I lost my balance and tumbled into Jack's side. To my mortification, he steadied me and held me upright. With my cheeks freshly aflame at having toppled into him, I noticed that the large wave hadn't affected him in the slightest, probably as a result of him being the seasoned sailor that he was.

When I felt steady enough to stand on my own again, I extracted myself from his grip, eyes darting round to see if anybody else had witnessed my embarrassment. From the looks of things however, they were all too busy with their jobs to pay attention to me in that moment.

The dark clouds that had seemed so far away before were practically looming over us now. As we started to pass underneath them a fine mist of rain began to fall. Turning my face up to it I closed my eyes and allowed myself to revel in light spray, only opening them when I felt my balance beginning to waver.

"The dagger that William gave you, do you know how to use it?" Jack asked, breaking through my reverie.

Turning to look at him, I shrugged in response as my eyes met his before giving him a non-committal, "not really," and turning my face back up to the sky wanting the peaceful moment back. The calm that I'd felt when the mist had begun was now being offset by thoughts of the dagger and the fear that came with it. Sighing, I recognised that the moment had been ruined and I wasn't likely to get it back.

"I think this is one of the things that I've missed the most," I said softly, wishing that I could be back in the moment.

"The rain?" Jack asked, almost disbelievingly.

Just as I was turning to him to reply the ship careened down another large swell, knocking me off balance yet again. Stumbling into him I felt his arm shoot around my waist and pull me almost effortlessly into his side to keep me steady. Through my complete and utter embarrassment at having fallen onto him twice now, I noticed that he was also becoming affected by the choppiness of the ocean. The arm that wasn't braced around my waist was gripping tightly onto the wheel and his feet were planted in a wide stance.

"You're a walking disaster," he said looking down at me and smirking. Trying to keep my cool, I smacked his chest lightly with the hand that was miraculously still holding onto the tea cup.

"Another thing to add to the repertoire," I said as airily as I could. I was sure that the whole 'I'm totally cool with what just happened' vibe was outweighed by the blush that I could feel heating my cheeks.

Jack chuckled and offered no response. He also didn't let go. The heat of his arm warming me through like it had done a couple of days before when we'd been in a similar position. The only difference this time being that I didn't feel like I was about to throw up everywhere and Will's life wasn't being threatened.

While I was still embarrassed about being manhandled and it made me feel a little like a child, I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. I'd come to the conclusion that without his steadying arm, I would have just ended up falling on him again and most likely knocking him over.

Just as I was about to open my mouth and ask him how long he thought until we'd reach the eye of the storm, the heavens opened answering my unspoken question for me. The fine mist became pelting rain that stung when it bounced off my exposed skin.

"You should get inside," Jack finally said loud enough to be heard over the water crashing around us.

"But I'm rather enjoying the rain though, I haven't felt it since I left England."

Even though I knew that he was right, being inside was the best place for me, I found that I was reluctant to leave the rain. My desire to help had steadily dwindled the closer came to the storm but I knew that I was being stubborn by wanting to stay out here. The fact that he'd practically told me to do something that I was eventually going to do made me want to dig my heels in and not do it. And to think that I called Jack immature.

"Enjoy the rain another time, right now we're about to be in the middle of a storm. You can barely stay on your own two feet and I'd rather not be covered in your sick." Squinting through my heavy lashes as the water battered down, I just about saw the grimace that was set on his lips. Pushing my wet hair of my face, I shielded my eyes with one hand as I looked up at him and decided that just this once I could do as I'd been asked. It wasn't worth being stubborn and staying out here to inevitably fall sick. I didn't have time for that.

"Fine," I said as though it was the biggest chore in the world to be moving. He took his arm off my waist and I immediately felt unsteady from the lack of security. Jack braced both arms on the wheel, trying his best to keep it steady as the waves grew larger, some beginning to splash onto the deck. I was an idiot for staying out here for so long. It was going to be a struggle trying to make it to the hatch without slipping on the deck or being flung overboard.

Stumbling as the ship crested another swell, I lunged for the railings in front of the wheel, gripping on as if my life depended on it.

"Go to the Captain's cabin and lock yourself in," Jack shouted, holding out a fairly large gold key towards me. I raised my eyebrows at him, not caring if he couldn't see through the rain. I hadn't even realised that there was a captain's cabin and now I was supposed to go exploring in this weather?

"What's wrong with where I was staying before?" I shouted back, not wanting to be wandering around.

Jack skidded forwards, took my free hand and placed the key in it when I made no move to take it.

"Just do it. Captain's orders," he replied with a smirk dancing on his lips as he skidded back to the wheel. He knew just as well as I did how little I enjoyed being ordered around. How he could act like that when we were being buffeted by a storm, I had no idea, but I supposed that he must have been used to being in dangerous situations. I was surprised at myself and just how calm I was all things considering.

"Whatever you say, Jack," I called out, rolling my eyes as I carefully made my way along the railings to the stairs, not once daring to let go.

"Captain!" He yelled back.

Looking over my shoulder at him, I mimicked his smirk.

"You're not my Captain," I replied laughing. Over the rain pelting the deck I could just about make out some incoherent grumbling coming from the pirate. Steeling myself, I went in search of the Captain's quarters, trying not to get pitched overboard on my way.

* * *

 **If you notice any irregularities or have any issues with the story so far, please let me know and I'll make a note of them so that I can sort them out when it comes to rewriting. I think I've got most of them but it's just to be sure. Thank you**


	19. An Unexpected Incident

**Chapter 18: An Unexpected Incident**

* * *

 _Squawk._

Bolting upright, my breath caught in my throat at the sudden shrillness reverberating around the cabin. As I peered blurrily through my lashes, I raised a hand over my chest to try and steady my racing heart. The other kept my sleep deprived body upright on the bed.

When I'd finally blinked all of the sleep out of my eyes, there was Mr Cotton's parrot perched on the foot of the bed. His beady eyes pierced right through me whilst his head tilted to one side. Feeling more than a little unnerved at the ghostly stare, I narrowed my eyes at him. It felt like I'd only just fallen asleep and I was more than irritable at my less than gentle awakening.

 _"_ Batten down the hatches." _Squawk._

My eyes opened wide at the audacity of the bird, the high pitched tone grating unpleasantly in my ears. I swear he was taking delight out of torturing me by squawking and talking complete nonsense. Although, what did I really expect from a parrot?

Feeling vindictive, I kicked my leg in his general direction with the hope that he would get the hint to leave me alone. I really wanted some more sleep. I shouldn't have been surprised when the bird didn't even twitch. He stood there, frozen in time, mocking me. Growling in frustration, I dropped the staring contest and flopped down onto the bed. Maybe if I ignored him, he would grow bored and fly back out of the window.

I tried to settle down and snuggle into the sheets as best I could, focussing on drifting off. My mind had other ideas. Fuelled by the increased adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I was too awake to give in to slumber. My aching body began to pitch a war with my brain, begging for the sweet release of a few more hours of sleep after the battering it had taken last night.

The storm had been unforgiving. Mountainous waves had crashed over us in a rage, threatening to sink us down to the murky depths below. The wind and rain had been just as unrelenting. At one point it had become so severe that a window had smashed from the sheer power of a wave, soaking the floor of the cabin. If I wasn't throwing up, I was being tossed around like a rag doll. Slipping, skidding, sliding. I bounced heavily against the walls.

There had been moments of insanity during my seasickness induced haze where I thought for sure that the storm would never end. It felt like I'd be forever trapped in an endless cycle of dry heaving as we plummeted down another mountain with barely enough time to catch my breath before we crested another.

I suppressed a shiver as the memories grew stronger, fed by the stink of damp and the taste of stomach acid in my mouth. At some point during the night, I found the strength to change out of my soaking clothes - forgoing the bindings on my chest - and into something dry so that I could minimise my chances of catching a cold. The majority of the bed had avoided the onslaught of water, much to my relief. I managed to crawl onto the side furthest away from the gaping hole in the wall before curling up and finally surrendering into a fitful sleep.

I could feel Mr Cotton's parrot watching me still as I tried to shake myself free from my recollections. I figured that he was waiting for me to do something. Although I was feeling less than charitable towards him for waking me up, I bizarrely felt comforted by his presence. The bird was actually quite calming when he wasn't screeching in close quarters.

Sounds of some crew members going about their duties out on the deck drifted down through the windowless hole. The thick tension from the night before had lifted; no longer oppressing me like it had started too once I'd barricaded myself in the bedroom.

Hearing the crew carry on as normal combined with the companionship of the parrot helped to sooth my frayed nerves. Suddenly the storm felt like it had happened days ago instead of only hours. Worry still lingered at the forefront of my mind.

Regardless of my knowledge, I couldn't help but feel anxious that everybody made it through without too much lasting damage. I didn't care that they hated me or thought me a 'landlubber' as one pirate had called me. From the short time that I'd kept company with the crew on the top deck, it was clear that they weren't anywhere near as vicious as those aboard the Pearl. And as such they deserved to be worried over, even just a little.

As I lay there mulling things over, I idly noted that the ship wasn't lurching to and fro. In fact we were barely even rocking.

And I wasn't feeling nauseous.

At all.

Sitting upright, I kept my eye on the parrot whilst waiting for any symptoms of seasickness to rear their ugly head.

"So far so good," I muttered to myself, trying to rein in my excitement of potentially gaining my 'sea legs'. Who knew that all it would take was being forced to weather a storm?

Mr Cotton's parrot ruffled his feathers in response. A large smile spread on my dry lips as I realised that I found the action somewhat endearing. My earlier irritation steadily floated away, replaced by a sense of contentment. My whole mood felt elevated, the worry slowly being suppressed.

"You're not so bad are you?" I had no idea if the parrot was able to understand what I was saying but that wasn't going to stop me from speaking to him as if he could. Intelligent was one characteristic that I wouldn't hesitate to apply to the bird purely from the gleam he held in his eyes and tilted head.

"Batten down the hatches. Incoming, incoming, incoming," it replied, not even blinking as I shuffled back so that I could rest against the headboard. Wincing at the shrieking tone, I immediately rethought my statement, my ears ringing slightly. I was still incredibly sleep deprived and though my spirits had been lifted, I knew that it wouldn't take much to drag them back down.

"On second thoughts, you're not so bad when you're quiet." I nodded my head in affirmation of my statement, waiting to see what the bird would come out with next. My body was tense with anticipation for the shrill tone. Upon realising that the parrot wasn't going to speak unless I said something else, I tried to make some sort of conversation.

"Do you have a name?" I inquired. I was well aware that this weird but I was willing to go along with it anyway. I didn't want to have to keep referring to it as 'Mr Cotton's parrot', or 'the bird'. If I was being honest with myself it felt a lot like the situation of getting Will comfortable with calling me by my first name rather than 'Miss Fenn'. I wanted to connect to the parrot on a more personal level because I felt mean referring to him as anything other than his name.

Perhaps I had been too hasty in my judgement of attaching the label of 'intelligence' to the parrot as he merely kept his beady eyes on me, head titled to the side. In a way, I felt like he was sassing me, as if saying 'don't be daft, Arabella'.

Rolling my eyes at my imagined response from the bird, I tried to shift into a more comfortable position that didn't require as much pressure on my healing back as my slouch had.

"Alright then, how about I name you? Would you like that?"

Somewhere in my brain I was screaming at myself that it wasn't normal to be trying to make a proper conversation with a parrot. It screamed that I might actually be going crazy from being stuck in a period of time that wasn't my own, that I should stop talking and actually listen to what the bird was telling me. But it was only a small part of my mind. A small part that was very easily ignored.

Mr Cotton's parrot certainly knew how to get under someone's skin and make them squirm. I wasn't about to show him any weakness though. Making sure that I firmly kept his gaze, I held the stare once again, this time not even an inch of me willing to back away. I was going to prove who was in charge in this dynamic and like hell was I going to let a little parrot be the boss of me.

"I'm guessing that you don't have a name," I finally stated, quickly growing bored of our little impromptu stare down. How I got to this point, I really didn't have a clue. I was aware enough to keep my voice down in case the crew heard me talking to the parrot. I didn't need to give them any more ammunition to hate me. Talking to animals would be the icing on the cake that would sentence me straight to crazyville in their eyes and that was something that I didn't want to happen.

Mr Cotton's parrot kept gawking at me, unblinking. It was beginning to get incredibly unnerving.

"How about I name you then?" I eventually stated, filling a need to break the intensity of the situation that had oddly unfolded.

 _So much for not being willing to back away._

Power plays were definitely not my thing, I surmised, especially since I couldn't even hold my nerve against a parrot. He clicked his beak a few times, shuffling around on the foot of the bed, as if waiting impatiently for my final say in the matter.

"Ok then," I drew out whilst I tried to think of an appropriate name for the sleep depriver, "how about Beady?" Unimaginative I know, but honestly, what did I really expect? I suck at naming things and anyway, with the way the parrot had been staring at me with those beady eyes I felt that it was only fitting.

Apparently Beady wasn't very fond of the name I'd chosen. He spread out his wings as far as they would reach and rose up as high as he could go on his legs, snapping his beak at me in protest.

Not wanting to back down on something else and shy away, I rolled with it. The name kind of suited him anyway. He did have very beady eyes.

"You may not like it, but I do so you're going to have to deal," I told him frankly. "Besides, it's not like any of us really get to choose our name. At least I'm no longer calling you 'the bird' and let's face it, 'Mr Cotton's parrot' is far too long winded to say constantly."

At that moment, I could have sworn that Beady narrowed his eyes at me in anger but I really couldn't have cared less. I was more than happy to use the name I had graced him with. Seeing that I wasn't fazed by his anger, Beady began to lash out in the best way that he knew how.

 _Squawk. Squawk. Squawk._

Plastering my hands over my ears I tried to muffle the screeching protests, making shushing noises as if my life depended on it. My sanity certainly did, even if my life didn't. But still Beady continued his assault on my ears, parading up and down the bedpost imperiously.

Desperation hit a new level and I lunged for the bird to try and hold his beak together, not fearing that I might get bit.

I didn't make it.

A sharp crack ripped through the wood of the door. A bullet whizzed through the cabin, narrowly missing both myself and Beady as it pierced through the outer wall letting in a small stream of sunlight.

I froze, gasping for breath, trying to keep myself grounded in the present. I didn't dare to even blink. I barely registered Beady squawking in a mad panic before darting out of the window.

His "Shiver me timbers," a faint whisper, the blood pounding through my ears muting everything else.

I couldn't stay. The cabin faded around me leaving in its place a cold dark night.

The manor house. Mr Ainsworth. A gun shot.

All of it came in quick succession. My breath was stolen from me. It was thick in my throat. I couldn't breathe. My wound throbbed.

Another gun shot. Mr Ainsworth falling. A ruby halo.

I tried to scream, tried to breathe, but nothing was working the way I wanted it to. Any control that I had over my body had been whipped away with the bullet. I didn't want to relive this moment. Yet I was being forced to again and again.

Sharp pricks of pain seared through my head. I was clutching and pulling at my hair in utter despair. Fingers curled punishingly in the knotty strands. My throat loosened a little. The physical pain was grounding me, luring me back to the cabin away from my memories.

I kept pulling and tugging, not caring that I was in pain, I couldn't stand to see his blood for a moment longer. Strands ripped from my scalp and clung to my clammy palms, unwilling to let me go.

Slowly but surely the cabin came back to me. Sound, however, still evaded me. The roaring blood morphed into a sharp ringing. Every breath was easier than the last despite the bile I felt rising up my throat. Harshly swallowing it down, I slowly counted to five in a last ditch attempt to bring myself fully back.

Unwinding my hands from my hair, they shook as I brought them down to eye level. Twisting them over and wringing them, I searched for any lingering blood which a small rational part of me knew that I wouldn't see. Slightly tanned dry skin glared back at me, not a single fleck of red to be seen. Feeling more reassured, I took a deep breath.

My hands were still shaking. Not from fear. Not from panic. They were shaking from anger. It quickly consumed me like a wildfire. The ringing sounded louder. It bolstered me, spurring me on and stoked the burning to new heights.

 _I could have been killed because of somebody's stupidity._

The thought should have sobered me. Instead it added extra fuel to the intense inferno. I stepped quietly to the splintered door, bare feet not making a sound on the damp floor underneath. The quiet made me dangerous. It made me deadly.

As I twisted the key, I realised that I had stopped shaking. I could barely contain the hellfire and yet outwardly I was as calm as could be. One look at my eyes however and I knew that people would run in fear in the opposite direction.

The lock clicked softly. Pulling it open, I took a measured step into the study of the Captain's quarters. I was a predator stalking my prey.

The hunt took a matter of seconds.

Soundlessly, I pursued. His back was turned, a pistol smoking slightly in his hand. Still he didn't hear me. I was deadly. I was dangerous. And I was going for the kill.

"Bloody bird," he muttered, rubbing his forehead.

I paused. His action tempered some of my anger as I recalled the aural assault I had been subjected to.

He gently placed the pistol on the desk and continued to rub his forehead as if he too had a headache from a lack of sleep. Judging from his fairly damp attire that was more than likely the case. I watched him, eyes sharp, not missing a single movement in case he realised I was there. Despite the fact that the fire within had lessened, it still burned and smouldered. Recalling the worry and sympathy that I had felt last night – for this man and a few others in particular – the fire dampened further.

Suddenly, his hand dropped and before I could react he'd snatched up the pistol and whirled to face me. Gone was the broad back of my prey. In its place was the barrel of the pistol about an inch away from my nose. The inferno blazed with a new vehemence.

Growling, I slapped the pistol away from my face and glared up at Jack as he looked down at me in bewilderment.

"Are you out of your mind?" I questioned him, voice steady and strong yet doing little to betray just how seething I really was. Fists clenched at my sides, nails digging in deep into my palms.

"What?" Jack replied the bewilderment still plain as day on his features.

"Are you out of your mind?" I spat out between my clenched teeth. The thread that supported my self-control was incredibly weak. One wrong tug and it would snap viciously.

"How did you do that?" He had the nerve to change his bewilderment into the damned blank expression that I couldn't read. I knew that he was referring to my sneaking up on him but I didn't dwell on it. He had tugged and the thread had snapped.

"Are you actually kidding me? Jack Sparrow what the hell were you playing at? You nearly bloody killed me just then firing your stupid pistol like that!" The words started quiet, steadily growing into a crescendo. Flames danced behind my eyes, warning him that now was not the time to push me with his usual sarcasm. If he had any sense he would heed my unspoken warning.

"Did not," Jack said looking affronted.

A harsh laugh dropped from my lips, my head thrown back. I was a wild animal still caught up in the adrenaline of the hunt. As quick as I began, I stopped. Fixing him with a ferocious stare, I stepped forward.

"Don't you dare lie to me Jack. You can't see through walls, you had no idea where I was. You very nearly killed me you absolute idiot. So I'll ask you again. Are you out of your damned mind?"

With every step I took, finger prodding into his firm chest, he took a step back. I relished in it. He didn't look fearful but at least he knew not to stand his ground.

Soon I had him where I wanted him. Jack's back hit the wall. He had nowhere to go other than barrelling through me and that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

Just as I was about to go in for the kill, Jack grabbed my hand from his chest and flipped us around. I found myself pressed against the cool wood, Jack so close that I could feel the damp from his clothes seeping into mine. He pinned my hand above my head as he smirked down at me.

Suddenly I found it hard to breathe again. My chest brushed against his with every intake I took. And yet I didn't try to free myself. The shock of the tables being turned sent my mind into a state of nothingness.

Jack smirked down at me, taking a blatant enjoyment out of my shock. It wasn't until his eyes flickered down my frame that the shock gave way to my previous ager. Narrowing my eyes, I waited until he met my gaze once more, preparing to give him a proper piece of my mind.

"Have you always been so uh…" he trailed off as he met my gaze, stroking his beard with his free hand and quirking his eyebrow. I quirked mine in response, daring him to finish his sentence.

"…well endowed?"

My mouth dropped open at his audacity as my free hand connected with his shoulder as I gave it the hardest shove I could muster. Jack barely even budged an inch, much to my utter displeasure. Before I could try again, he captured the hand and pinned it with the other to the wall.

"You're insufferable," I growled out, struggling against his hold. Jack gave me a flat look as if to say that I really should know better by now.

"Yeah yeah, you're a pirate I get it. Now let me go!" He was far too close. I needed to escape his grip so that I could feel like I could breathe properly within the safety of my own personal space. Renewing my struggles with vigour, I found that I was becoming increasingly frustrated with his steadfast grip.

"I don't think I will, I'm rather enjoying this," Jack laughed distractedly.

Seizing the opportune moment, I kicked him harshly in his shin. A grim satisfaction flooded through me as I noticed that his grip on my wrists had loosened minutely.

"That wasn't very nice," he chastised.

"Neither was nearly bloody killing me and Beady with a shot you were supposed to be saving," I shot back, entirely unamused with this whole situation. A second later, I clamped my lips shut tightly at my slip up.

"How do you know about that?"

I kicked him again, hoping that it would get me out of the sticky situation I now found myself in. I'd probably feel remorse over my actions when I'd cooled down but I was too far in the throes of anger to truly care and think anything over rationally. Besides, despite him grunting a little at the initial sting, I didn't think that I was kicking him hard enough to actually do any damage. Maybe a little bruise. It did make me feel better though, having an outlet for all of my pent up emotions. And the fact that it stopped him from grilling me on how I knew things that I wasn't supposed to.

"How did you know that I was saving that shot?" Jack questioned, still refusing to let go of my hands. They were beginning to go numb from being held above my head for so long. His carefree face had hardened and I gulped at the sudden fear that danced alongside the fire of anger.

"I heard you mention it," I finally replied. I'd made a promise that I was done lying and technically that wasn't a lie. With all going well, he wouldn't see through it.

Jack hummed thoughtfully, the harsh expression melting away. Was it really going to be that easy? Did he really trust that I was telling the truth?

"Beady?" He spoke, throwing me off. I'd been braced for more questions on just where I'd heard him speak and yet he surprised me once again.

"Yes, Beady." I replied, huffing a little in irritation – partly over being thrown for a loop and partly because I was angry at myself.

The flame was dwindling. As it died down, a fierce longing – need – for personal space took its place. I needed to get away from him. I couldn't think properly as it was and I couldn't afford another slip up. I may have gotten away with it this time but I knew in my gut that I wouldn't manage a second.

He fixed me with a blank look, not quite catching on to what I was saying. Rather than clear things up, I focussed all of my efforts once more on freeing my hands. When his grip tightened in response I narrowed my eyes, pulling a grin from his lips. He was so close now that I could smell the rum on his breath; his body was practically plastered to mine as it pushed me further into the wall. Every nerve ending was screaming at me to not take enjoyment out of the position I had managed to get in.

I could recognise a lost cause when I saw one and right now that lost cause was my escape. At this point I had to endure; it was all I could do.

"Mr Cotton's parrot. I named him, now will you please let me go? I can't feel my fingers." The words rushed out of me on a resigned sigh.

Jack slowly roamed his eyes up and down my frame once again. Even though I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, a blush flamed my cheeks. Apparently he'd had enough of pinning me there, or he saw the desperation for space on my face, because Jack finally let my hands drop and took a few steps back.

"You named the parrot?" He asked as he sat on the edge of the desk, watching me taking deep breaths. Now that he'd let go, I found myself slumping against the wall as if my body was unable to withstand the sheer amount of relief that flooded through my system. Well, that and I was already exhausted from a very trying morning. Taking a few moments to compose myself, I met his chocolate eyes.

 _I could have sworn that they were a lighter brown before._

Shaking the thought off I drew myself up to my full height, trying to give off the impression that I was completed unaffected by what had just happened. Regardless of the fact that I had been so angry and at times uncomfortable, a tiny part of me had actually enjoyed being pressed against Jack.

"Yes, isn't that what you're supposed to do with animals?" I eventually replied in an effort to rid myself of more thoughts of being pinned by the pirate in other less than PG scenarios.

He hummed in response, crossing his arms over his chest and kicking one ankle over the other. It was so unfair that he could look so casual and unaffected by everything that just happened. Then on the other hand, there was me, most likely looking like a wild animal that had been dragged backwards through a hedge. I was anything but casual and unaffected.

We stood in silence, listening to the crew go about their business above us. My stomach growled quietly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten in a while. I'd find food in a bit, right then all I wanted to do was just enjoy the small moment of quiet and content whilst it lasted.

"It wasn't my pistol," Jack spoke up gruffly. Trying to hide my wince at the subject not being dropped, I looked up at him questioningly, startled to find his gaze locked on me already.

"Found it in a drawer."

Prompted by his words, I roamed my eyes over his frame in a similar manner as he'd done to me. Lazily I took in his relaxed posture, lean muscles evident by the way his shirt clung to his chest. Swallowing, I averted my gaze, praying that I wasn't blushing from the memory of having him pressed deliciously against me.

My eyes narrowed in on a pistol haltered at his belt, confirming his statement. The shot for Barbossa hadn't been wasted. Worry that clenched at my heart dissipated. Everything was still on course, just as I knew it to be.

"You know," I began, feeling a lot more collected and like myself again, "you still haven't apologised for shooting at me."

Jack snorted as his lips pulled up into a grin.

"Nothing to apologise for," I raised an eyebrow in mocking disbelief. "I wasn't shooting at you," he clarified.

"You're unbelievable," I said in a deadpan tone, hoping that my expression matched. It was going to take a hell of a lot more than an apology before I forgave him for not only shooting at me but also for sending me into a panic attack. Jack's grin widened.

"Don't you dare say it," I leapt in as he opened his mouth, knowing exactly what he was about to say. Unfortunately for him, I probably would've kicked him again. Jack shrugged, laughter dancing in his eyes.

"Why did you feel the need to shoot at us anyway?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest only to promptly drop them to my sides.

"That bloody parrot –"

"Beady," I cut in. Jack narrowed his eyes at me before continuing.

"Beady," he said firmly, emphasising the word, "wouldn't stop screeching. It woke me up," Jack finished with a shrug of his shoulders unconcernedly. I, on the other hand was more than concerned.

"And so you just thought you'd shoot him?" I asked incredulously, throwing my hands up into the air. His lack of empathy and concern was beginning to stoke the fire that was smoking leisurely in the pit of my stomach.

Before Jack could respond verbally an impatient knock pounded on the door, followed by an eager shout of "Cap'n". In bustled Mr Gibbs, not waiting for permission to enter.

He stopped short as soon as he noticed just how close Jack and I were. Hastily I took a few steps back, trying to make the situation look just as innocent as it was, knowing just how it could have been construed. I hadn't realised that whilst we were talking I had moved closer to Jack.

"What is it, Mr Gibbs?" Jack asked, drawing the older pirate's attention back to him.

"A ship's been sighted." I tensed but neither of them noticed. It was too soon for us to have caught up to the Pearl. We hadn't even made it to the ship graveyard yet.

"Has it now?" Jack replied, his interest visibly piqued.

"British Navy ship. And well, the crew were thinkin', after the storm and all that it were about time we did some proper pirating. Replenish our lost supplies and such," Mr Gibbs carried on, completely oblivious to my growing shock once again.

"What?" I squeaked, only to fall on deaf ears.

 _What on earth is he talking about? I don't remember them ransacking a navy ship in the film._

Jack clapped Mr Gibb's on his shoulder, before turning and walking out of the room with him.

"Did you now? Do you reckon there'll be rum on board?" He questioned as they walked down the corridor, voices growing faint.

Neither had noticed that I was rooted to the spot. This couldn't be happening. Jack seriously couldn't be considering ransacking another ship, not when we were so close to the Pearl.

I stood there, staring blankly at the empty doorway, a terrible feeling gnawing at my gut. I was supposed to know what was going to happen right down to the last detail. Wracking my brain, I tried to remember if I was beginning to forget. Deep down I knew that I wasn't. My safety blanket had been unceremoniously ripped away and I need to find out just what the hell was happening.

Jarred back into movement, I ran down the corridor in search of Jack and Mr Gibbs, hoping that they could give me answers and settle my growing fear.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally got this chapter out. It took me forever to finish purely because I hit such a bad block. In all honesty it took a completely different direction from what I thought it would go in but I'm quite happy with the end result. I think I wrote about 15 drafts of this before I finally got to this point?**

 **Yay me for hitting 100k words! I never thought I'd get this far on my first ever story :)**

 **Don't worry, I'm not giving up, I promise.**

 **As always, please let me know what you think.**

 **Until next time x**


	20. An Unbelievable Plan

**Warning: Strong language and sexual references.**

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"Watch it, landlubber," a particularly frizzy haired older pirate barked out as I ran into him. It wasn't my fault that I'd been rendered temporarily blind by the sun the moment that I'd stepped out onto the deck and crashed into him. He could easily have stepped around me.

I spared him a quick glare before casting my eyes desperately along the ship. Where had Jack and Mr Gibbs gone?

"Oi, I were talkin' to you!" The pirate started, reaching out for my arm. Dancing out of his reach, I gave him a disgusted look before ignoring him once again. I had more important things to worry about than bickering over whose fault the collision had been.

Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I tried to see over the heads of the bustling crew. An excited and anticipatory energy was radiating from them. It was suffocating. From the corner of my eye I noticed the pirate who I'd knocked into slink off after deciding that I wasn't worth the hassle.

Just when I'd decided that I'd been mistaken in thinking that Jack and Mr Gibbs had come up on the deck, I spotted them at the front of the ship. Jack was peering through a spy glass at a dark speck on the horizon. My hope that Mr Gibbs was wrong – that a ship hadn't been sighted – was quickly disappearing into the murky unknown below.

Not wanting to waste any more time I dashed towards them, barrelling past anyone who got in my way and steadily ignoring the indignant protests.

"Is it true? It is really a navy ship?" I gasped out as I came to an abrupt stop at the railings next to Jack.

"Look for yourself," he replied as he handed me the spyglass. Hesitantly I took it, hoping that I was wrong, hoping that they were all wrong. We couldn't be pursuing a ship.

After a few moments of searching through the spyglass my gaze landed on what was unmistakably a ship. Even worse, it was flying the British flag – an exact replica of the one that I knew was hidden away in the hull of the Interceptor. My stomach plummeted to my feet whilst fear sent my heart racing. This shouldn't be happening.

"You can't honestly be thinking about going after them, right?" I asked as I handed the spyglass back to Jack. I needed him to reassure me that this wasn't the case, that I was worrying unnecessarily.

"I don't need to think about it, love," he replied before jogging up to the helm to join Anamaria at the wheel. I stared after him, mouth agape.

Twisting wildly around to face the open water again, I fixed my gaze on the ship in the distance.

Was Tia Dalma wrong? Had everything that I'd been told a lie? I was positive that they didn't ransack a ship in the film so why were they hell bent on doing so now?

Rounding on Mr Gibbs who'd walked a few paces away, I went in search of answers.

"Why can't we leave them alone?" I implored of him.

"We lost a lot of our supplies in the storm, Miss. Most of the food got spoiled and the majority of the water barrels have smashed." He gave me a small sad smile as if knowing somehow just how distressed I was.

"I hadn't realised," I finally answered as the weight of his words hit me. We were in the middle of nowhere and as far as I knew, land was miles away in every direction. The seriousness of our situation hit me as Mr Gibbs clapped me on the shoulder before going to give orders to the crew.

"I don't understand," I whispered out to the waves as I leaned my elbows on the railings and tugged the bottom of my braided hair. My stress levels were through the roof and I truly felt like I was being tested for some unknown reason.

This ship we were pursuing, the people on board it, they would be in the same position as us if we were to take their supplies. They didn't deserve that. I had to do something, standing here and wallowing in my anxieties was not going to help.

Dashing after Mr Gibbs I tried to ignore the frenzied atmosphere, it wasn't helping to soothe my fraying nerves.

"You said 'majority'," I called after him, fighting the urge to groan when I realised that the frizzy haired pirate I'd collided with was among the few that Mr Gibbs was talking to. "So not all the food and water was lost?" They rounded on me, all but Mr Gibbs with malice dancing in their expressions.

"Aye, that's correct," he replied, pulling out his flask and taking a swig of rum.

"So can't we just ration out what we've got left? We've no need to go after that ship. They've done nothing to us," I rushed out, avoiding the shocked looked from the others and focusing purely on Jack's first mate.

"Look here," the frizzy haired pirate cut in before Mr Gibbs could reply. I rolled my eyes exasperatedly at him knowing that a lecture of some kind was heading my way. "What do yer know about sailin' a ship and being at sea?" He moved forwards and drew up to his full height in what I saw as an attempt to intimidate me.

"I know some things," I spat out evasively, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing me shrink away and knowing that his intimidation tactics were working.

"Obviously," he sneered. "Where were yer last night during that godforsaken storm?"

Setting my lips into a thin line, I jutted my chin out. Somehow I just knew that whatever I said would make things worse at this point. I was in for a dressing down and he was just getting started.

"Crimp, now ain't the time, let it be," a small pirate spoke up, surprisingly coming to my defence.

"Where was she, Duncan?" Crimp whirled around with his arms wide, a disgusting grin showing his rotten teeth fixed upon his lips, ignoring the pirate who'd spoken.

Another pirate – Duncan - stood with his arms crossed, shrugged as he settled in to enjoy the entertainment.

"That's right. She certain weren't up 'ere helpin' out. At least the other woman knows what she's doing," he sneered, looking down his nose at me.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I tried to give the appearance that his words weren't affecting me and signalled my refusal to give into his baiting. Internally I was shrinking back from his stare, the words piercing through me painfully.

"Where were yer?" he pressed. One look at his expression told me that he knew exactly where I had been and was waiting for me to give in to his baiting. Seeing that he wasn't about to get his desired response, he waited a moment before trying again after taking a threatening step towards me.

"While we were up 'ere fighting through that storm, where were yer? We lost a good man last night and yer didn't even try and help us," Crimp all but roared as he advanced on me.

I couldn't have moved if I wanted to. My limbs froze at his words. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. Gritting my teeth, I tried as hard as I could to not let him affect me. My efforts were futile even though I knew that it wasn't my fault a person had died.

"I was below deck, where I was ordered to be," I choked out, giving in to his baiting at the mention of someone's death essentially being blamed on me. Not being able to hold in a wince at his smarmy grin and the smell of his rotten breath as it washed over me, I watched dismally as his grin widened. The awful sensation of knowing that I'd said the wrong thing settled over me.

"Crimp, that's enough," Mr Gibbs finally stepped in, seeing just how uncomfortable I had become. Without realising I'd begun rocking slightly on my feet, my fight or flight instincts warring against each other. Part of me wanted to stay and stand my ground but I knew from the tears that were welling and the fact that I was unable to stand still that flight was starting to win.

"I dunno Mr Gibbs, seems like she's finally realising that she shouldn't be 'ere. Cap'n shoulda known better." Crimp shot back, not looking away from me. He wanted validation for his anger and grief. He wanted to see my tears fall and I didn't know if I was capable of withholding that from him, as much as I wanted to.

"Are you questioning your Captain?" Mr Gibbs asked him in a dangerous tone.

"Not at all, Mr Gibbs," Crimp replied with mock innocence. He had yet to take his eyes off me, awaiting my answer. Mr Gibbs, clearly somewhat satisfied with Crimp's answer, huffed as he backed down from his defensive stance. Although, he couldn't have been too happy still as he kept a warning hand clapped on Crimp's shoulder.

"You're wrong," I eventually said, voice thick with emotion. "I'm where I'm supposed to be. Besides, I tried to help before." It was a lame comeback but I needed him to see that I had tried.

Crimp laugh humourlessly, shrugging off Mr Gibb's hand that was keeping him in place. Stepping right up to me, toe to toe, he stared down on me dangerously. Feeling like an ant who was about to be stepped on by a very large boot, I swallowed but stood my ground, keeping my shaking hands firmly clasped behind my back and out of his sight.

"Yer call that 'help'? I seen a child do better than that. Yer useless 'ere, landlubber. Know yer place. Stick to the Cap'n's quarters and keepin yer legs spread, it's all yer good for." Crimp ridiculed, pointedly looking me up and down.

Hands grabbed him round the waist and dragged him away from me but it was too late, the damage had already been done.

Unwittingly tears fell down my cheek. It was all too much. I couldn't handle having the blame of another death placed on my shoulders. Mentions of my inadequacy and the sheer implications of his words added to the burdens I bore. I knew that being here would be tough on my reputation, not that I really cared too much about that since I planned on going home afterwards, but it still hurt to have it called into question in such a way.

Looking blearily around me, everyone suddenly rushed back into motion as though they hadn't stopped to witness me being called a whore. Choking back more tears, I rushed to the hatch that would take me below deck. I couldn't break down in front of them and be subjected to even more ridicule. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

Stumbling down the steps, I cursed my lack of sight as I dropped down into the dark hull. Having to feel my way to the Captain's quarters where I knew I wouldn't be disturbed – but would add emphasis to the rumour – was not ideal, particularly if all the crew were in the same frame of mind as Crimp.

As I wandered down the corridor, trailing my hand along the wooden walls in an attempt to ground myself, I waited with bated breath for someone else to come and have a go at tearing me down.

How pathetic was I becoming? I'd been reduced to an emotional wreck from the opinion of a man whom I didn't even know. I'd been called far worse at the pub and barely even battered an eyelid and yet here I was blubbering away because some pirate - who was undoubtedly dead in my time - decided to have a crack at me.

The more I thought on it, the angrier I became. Where had the steadfast Arabella gone that lashed out rather than this mess that had been so easily reduced to tears? I barely even recognised myself.

Convincing myself that Crimp's venomous words weren't the cause of my tears but that they were the product of a culmination of stressful events that had occurred during the past couple of days, I felt a slight weight lifting from my chest.

Mr Gibbs hadn't been any help in stopping this ridiculous notion of scavenging from another ship but perhaps there was one other person who could help. Will. He should still have his morals and surely this would go firmly against them. He'd have to see reason and maybe, as much as I hated to admit it, there might be more weight behind his words when it came to the crew. They'd definitely give him the time of the day unlike me.

Coming to a stop in front of the door the Captain's quarters, I re-evaluated the implications of my entering the rooms before deciding that I didn't care. I'd freshen up, try to hide the tear tracks on my cheeks and go in search of Will. I decided that we wouldn't reach the ship for another couple of hours at least. It'd be plenty of time for us to try and convince Jack and Mr Gibbs to revert back to our original course.

"Arabella?" Will's voice startled me out of my internal musings. I'd been so preoccupied that I hadn't realised he'd opened the door.

"Are you ok?" He asked concernedly, taking in my flushed tear stained face. Not wanting him to question me further and having to admit that the crew thought I was Jack's whore, I attempted a smile and a nod of my head.

"Really?" Will questioned, disbelief strong in his tone.

"It's nothing," I replied. "Can you just let it go, please?" He'd find out soon enough anyway, I was sure. On a ship this small, gossip was bound to be rife. Drawing myself up and ridding the lamentations of my reputation from my mind, I was about to seize the opportunity I had inadvertently been presented with only to stop short as Will nodded.

With my mouth open from when I'd been about to speak I took in what he was wearing. A sharp navy blue coat, polished brass buttons showcasing multiple reflections of my face and gold trim emphasising his broad shoulders. It was a coat that had been in the trunk I'd raided last night for dry clothes. A British Navy coat.

"You…you're…what are you doing? Why are you wearing that?" Foreboding crept up my spine, chilling me once again. It was far too hot to warrant wearing it.

Will looked down at his coat and then smiled slightly as he glanced back up at me.

"An officer coat. I don't think I've ever worn something so finely made before," he replied airily.

"Yes, but why are you wearing it?" I demanded hastily, needing to know.

"To stop Jack from doing anything foolish," Will answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That still doesn't explain why you're wearing that coat, Will" I needed him to explicitly explain what was happening, the bad feeling intensifying from the lack of answers I was receiving.

"It's all part of Jack's plan…well our plan," he finally replied, a grimace crossing his face as he rubbed the back of his neck as though in embarrassment. "Come and sit, I'll explain everything."

Dragging my feet, I followed him into the Captain's quarters, studiously avoiding looking at the wall where Jack had pinned me barely an hour ago. It would not do well to start thinking about that whilst I was in the middle of crisis.

I couldn't stop thinking that this was all wrong. It shouldn't be happening and yet here we were, about to discuss their strategy as if it were a normal bloody occurrence. Why was Will making plans with Jack? It seemed like such a pirate thing to do but he shouldn't have been embracing that side of himself yet.

"Explain," I demanded as soon as I perched on the edge of the desk, crossing my arms. Will took his time sitting down, presumably collecting his thoughts before turning to me.

"Jack has a plan," he began slowly, assessing me apprehensively. "He guessed that if we were to board this ship in disguise as the King's men then it'd be easier to loot."

"And how do you factor into this?" I asked crossly. Will had the grace to look a little shameful.

"I convinced him to let me join to make sure that he doesn't hurt anybody and just take what we need."

"Oh," I finally replied, anger quickly dissipating. He had a similar goal as me but still, there was part of me that knew that this was too far.

"You could try and convince him not to board at all," I tried.

"We need the supplies, Arabella. I don't think you realise just how dire our situation is if we don't take this opportunity. We'll die of starvation before we reach Elizabeth."

"No we won't," I shot back. "We'll be fine!"

"You don't know that," Will replied lowly, standing up. His cheeks were beginning to flush in anger. I broke his gaze, looking down at the floor. How could I possibly answer his question without giving away that I knew what should be happening?

"You've not sailed like this before, Arabella –"

"Neither have you!" I interrupted. I was getting pretty sick of my inadequacies being thrown in my face. Gone was the crying girl from moments ago; in her place was the Arabella from the twenty first century – the girl who was quick to anger.

"No, but at least I have the sense to know when we're in a serious situation – something that you seem to be lacking at the moment!" Will watched as I opened and closed my mouth, trying to think of something to say. Nothing would come. I had no idea how to impart that fact that I could guarantee that we'd survive if we left the ship alone and carried on sailing for the Black Pearl.

He dragged a hand down his face resignedly as he mistook my lack of a response for contrition.

"Right now, Jack is the best option we've got. I'll make sure that nobody gets hurt, please don't worry about that," Will spoke softly, negating that harshness that had settled in the room.

Finally meeting his eyes, I saw the steely determination to do just that burn within. This was a lost cause. There was no way I was going to convince anybody that looting the ship was a bad idea, not to mention that Jack's plan of passing as the King's men was absolutely ludicrous. Who in their right mind would believe that Jack was a naval officer with his eccentricities? He may have been one in his youth but that was a long time ago, years of piracy have passed since then.

"I still don't like it but if it's what you have to do, I can't stop you." I said. The words soured in my mouth. There was no way I could prevent anything if the whole crew was against me. I just had to pray that once this was over and done with everything would be back on course. I needed that safety blanket back, I felt far too exposed and vulnerable without it.

"I hope you're ready to face the repercussions of this," I stated as he moved to walk away.

"What do you mean?" He questioned warily.

"If you do this, commit an act of piracy, you're no better them." His shoulders tensed at my words. "I hope you're ready to face up to that."

"I will never be anything like them," he said with quite fury before striding from the room, barging past Jack in the doorway as he left.

I slumped down on the desk, feeling drained and in no way capable of dealing with Jack Sparrow for the second time today.

"Trouble in paradise?" He questioned me once he took in my stature.

"Oh shut the fuck up, I'm still mad at you," I sighed, ignoring the raised eyebrow and amused look he shot my way.

"Vulgar language for a lady such as yourself," he gasped.

"According to your crew I'm no lady. At least, not in a reputable sense." Bitterness enveloped me.

"Ah, heard about that have you?" Jack busied himself as he spoke, not looking guilty in the slightest.

"Of course you knew! Did you not think you should have told me so I could have at least been prepared?" My voice took on a shrill tone as I followed him into the bedroom and watched him remove another officer's jacket from the trunk.

Suddenly, I felt very capable of dealing with him. The verbal bantering easing my mind a little from the trouble we were swiftly heading for.

"Hardly had the time to gossip over a luncheon now, have I?" He remarked offhandedly.

Huffing in irritation I crossed my arms over my chest again. I was so sick of today and it had barely even begun. "What about earlier?" I questioned smartly, knowing that I had him.

"I was rather preoccupied," Jack grinned at me cheekily as he buttoned up the blue jacket that just fit across his broad chest.

"You're insufferable," I said as I scowled at him, to which he shrugged back. Walking past him, I peered through the hole in the wall he'd made this morning before turning round to him.

"How is it that I've barely even spent five minutes in their company and yet I'm branded a…well, you know," I tripped over my words, not wanting to call myself anything derogatory in case I started to believe it.

"They're not blind, love. They notice things." Jack turned to face me, leaning casually against the wall opposite. The bed between us created a safe distance and enabled me to think clearly.

"What do you mean, 'they notice things'? I haven't done anything to suggest-"

"Yesterday when I was keeping you upright during the beginning of the storm," Jack cut in with that infuriating smirk plastered on his lips.

"B-but that was completely innocent! I kept losing my footing and you were helping me!" I fired back indignantly, flopping down onto the bed with a groan of frustration.

"Ah, but it didn't look that way."

"Stupid eighteenth century rules and misogyny," I muttered to myself.

"What?" Jack questioned. I froze. I didn't think I'd spoken loud enough for him to hear. That made two slip ups in one day, I needed to be more careful!

"Nothing," I shot back quickly, too quickly if the narrowing of his eyes was anything to go by. "How long until we reach this other ship?" I didn't particularly care to know the answer but I figured that if I started questioning him about something else he'd forget about my slip up despite being proven wrong earlier today.

"A few hours at most. I can't deny the Interceptor's fast but she doesn't quite match up to the Pearl," he boasted as he came to sit beside me. Snorting at his blatant favouritism I shuffled over to try and keep some distance between us, my cheeks flushing at the memory of his chest against mine.

"Nothing I say is going to stop you from going through with this, is it?" I sighed.

"No, probably not."

"Will you keep Will safe? He can't get hurt." If he thought my wording was odd he didn't comment on it. With an unreadable expression he stared down at me.

"How does young William, who's barely capable wooing the woman of his affection, have a beautiful woman such as yourself vying for his attention?" Jack questioned, making me splutter at his misconception.

"What? I'm not vying for him."

"Your concern for his welfare suggests otherwise, love."

"No no no, Jack, you've got it all wrong. Will and I, well, we're barely friends and even if I did want his affections, it would be nothing more than in a familial way at most." Jack raised his eyebrows at my quick defence.

"No judgement, love. Merely curious."

"Yeah, well, you can shove your curiousness where the sun doesn't shine. You're way off the mark on that one," I replied, needing to shut this conversation down. If it got back to Elizabeth, who knew how she'd react and I'd really didn't want to be on her bad side.

Laughter bounced around the room as Jack struggled to get himself under control. I hadn't realised that I was such a funny person, either that or he was laughing off the shock of me speaking in such an 'unladylike' manner.

"When you're quite finished," I finally huffed out, bored of him laughing at me.

"You're an odd woman, Bella," Jack said once he'd calmed down.

"Bella?"

Rather than replying he shrugged his shoulders. Deciding to let this one go, I basked in the silence that surrounded us again, enjoying to rocking sensation from the ship.

I still found it odd that I was no longer seasick, and I found myself craving ginger tea despite not needing it anymore. I'd come to associate smell and taste with comfort and I knew that if I had some now my anxieties wouldn't be creeping back so soon.

"It won't work you know," I finally spoke. When Jack looked at me, I elaborated by gesturing to his garb. "Your plan."

"Ah, have a little faith."

"I give it two minutes before they realise they've been had."

"A lot can be achieved in two minutes," he shot back. Why did he always have to have an answer?

"You know, I'd feel a lot more at ease if you didn't do this. People are going to get hurt," I said with absolute certainty. I knew that no matter what I said they'd still go through with it, but maybe if he saw just how bad of idea I thought it was, he'd act a little more rationally.

"Most likely," Jack replied, not one to beat around the bush. I appreciated his honesty but it didn't do much to make me feel better.

"We're pirates; getting hurt is an occupational hazard." He murmured, standing up and stretching. "If you're that worried, stay below deck and keep hold of your dagger."

Watching as he strode out of the room, I tried not to think about how well the navy blue jacket suited him.

Anxiously, my hands started twisting strands of my hair and I bit my lip as I pondered how long of a wait we had until we reached this blasted ship.

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 **A/N: took forever, hope you all enjoyed this pile of rubbish! This was like the thirtieth draft I did and the only one I was somewhat happy with.**

 **Next chapter: Finally reach the ship and we see if Jack's plan works or not! The pace is really going to pick up from here on out.**

 **As always, let me know what you think. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Much love. Until next time x**

 **Ninja Squirrel:** Thank you for your lovely review, I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far! Means a lot that you took the time to say something :) x


	21. An Out-of-Body Experience

**Warning: Intense and very graphic depiction of violence in this chapter. I have separated it from the rest with a line so if you feel like this is something that will trigger you please do not read this and skip forward until you see the next separated part.**

 **This chapter also deals with some difficult themes such as PTSD and depersonalisation. If you feel like this will trigger you, please do not read.**

 **Chapter 20: An Out-of-Body Experience**

Twirling the dagger in my hands, I tried in vain to get used to its weight. No matter how much I'd toyed with the knife in the past few hours, it still felt foreign in my grasp. Heaving a sigh I gently placed in back in its sheath and on the bed before me. The burden it bore weighed heavily on my mind. It'd taken me this long to be able to stand the sight of it within my possession. I was in no way prepared to use it maliciously if things went wrong, even if it came down to using it for self-defence.

For the past couple of hours I hadn't moved from the bed. Anxiety kept me rooted as the flurry of excitement and noise from the crew grew louder the nearer we inevitably sailed towards the Navy ship. I'd had no desire to join any of them on deck. Not only would I have been unable to hide my less the stable state – my lack of movement had caused a bout of twitching, resulting in the inspection of the dagger and the whirlwind of insecurities that brought up - but I was sure that the rumours and whispers would follow me only adding to my anxieties.

Why were things different? Had I started to forget important details? Had I inadvertently done something to change everything?

A man had died – the blame for which was being unfairly placed on me – and I was positive that I didn't have any prior knowledge of this happening. Likewise with this bloody Navy ship that the crew insisted that we hunt down. I knew in my gut that neither of these events had happened. They certainly would have been things that I'd remember, I was sure of it.

I felt like I was going crazy, if I wasn't already – who, back home, would believe a tale like this? - trying to think through what I could possibly have done to change everything so drastically.

As I stared down at the white and gold handle of the dagger, fingers pulling my braid free and tangling in the strands, I idly noticed that the colours were a sharp contrast to the black leather of the sheath. I couldn't help but think of it as a sign from a higher power. I snickered at the insanity of the thought.

Unlike the dagger, my world was no longer a clear cut black and white. Everything seemed a murky grey at best, especially since Tia Dalma had brought me unwillingly to this godforsaken century. It was another burden I bore which I had yet to come to terms with. I was doubtful that I ever would. Home would always be the twenty-first century.

The water lapping against the side of the ship became louder, as though it was echoing against something. Heart racing, I realised that I'd been so zoned out with my thoughts that everyone above had gone silent.

A sudden anticipation became palpable in the air, locking my joints rigid. The silence from the crew was deafening. We had reached the ship.

The creaking and groaning of wood grew louder. Small waves clapped softly against the hulls. The silence broke. Muffled calls across the two ships floated through the window snapping me out of my rigid state. Rushing over to the window I peered out, being mindful of the jagged edges from where the glass had smashed last night.

'The Earl King' in ornate gold lettering greeted me, the words not sparking any lights of recognition. About five feet of unfathomable depth of Caribbean ocean separated us. It still felt far too close. A shiver racked my spine. Whilst incredibly grand looking, The Earl King seemed to be similar if not smaller in size than the Interceptor. It was highly likely that they'd have a similar sized crew.

Not being able to stand the sight of the ill-fated ship, I pulled back from the window. Restlessly I began to pace the small cabin, arms hugging my waist for comfort. Shouts from one ship to another, the usual pleasantries from the sounds of it, coasted on the breeze. It did nothing to ease my foreboding. This shouldn't be happening.

Bang!

Nearly tripping over in fright, I darted back to the window. I let out a small breath of relief as I realised that the noise had only been the gangplank being placed between the two ships. Nothing too sinister had happened. Yet.

All too soon, that relief shrivelled into nothingness as Will precariously wobbled across the plank, Jack behind him swaggering in an easy unconcerned manner. An older man sporting a large blue and gold hat atop a stark white wig was waiting on The Earl King, arms out to greet them. It was a miracle that nobody had noticed me leaning halfway out of the window so that I could see what was going on above me.

The breath that I'd been holding released in a large huff as Will finally jumped from the plank onto the ship, no longer in danger of falling into the sea. Any lingering anger I felt from his stupid decision to go along with Jack's plan had dissipated into unrestrained worry.

Whatever was being said between the trio was lost to the breeze, the sea lapping between the two ships masking everything that wasn't a shout from my hearing. They walked away from the railings of The Earl King and just like that any chance I had of lip reading was gone.

I groaned in frustration. I was too nosy to stay where I was; it was causing an increasing need to see with my own two eyes exactly what was happening. Maybe if I could see, it would reassure my gut – which was churning with anxiety at an alarming rate – that this foolish plan was actually working.

Snatching my dagger off the bed I jammed it in my satchel as I made my way out of the Captain's cabin and down the hallway to the kitchen. Pausing in the doorway, I looked up to the ceiling above me.

Something had changed.

Scuffles and the stamping of boots began vibrating through the wood. My palms grew sweaty. I gripped the leather handle of my satchel tightly, trying to stop my hands from shaking. The crew sounded restless.

All at once, a loud roar emanated from the pirates. Boots thundered overhead, the deck rocking with the motion of everyone running to the railings. Panting with fear, I leant against the doorframe trying to ground myself.

The plan had failed.

Clashes of swords drifted down the hatch. Pistols cracked in accompaniment. Shouts and screams pierced my ears. Though the fight was on The Earl King, it sounded as though it was happening right above me.

One moment I was stood against the doorframe clutching my satchel with a death grip, the next a foot was poised on the bottom rung of the ladder.

Impossibly, the fight sounded quieter from here. The sounds of people fighting for their lives, begging, dying, were muffled amongst my pounding heart. And yet, curiously, my hands did not shake. Steadily they rose and latched onto the ladder.

I looked up. The sun did its best to blind me, warning me to stay below deck. I didn't listen. My body ascended, my mind still quivering and screaming at me to turn around, don't go up, don't look.

I blinked, battering away the suns warnings. Quieter and quieter the sounds of battle cries became. Stepping onto the deck, I laid eyes on the carnage. How could such devastation happen on a beautiful day? The thought stuck with me as I stumbled over to the railings. I was numb, a shell.

Swords smashed against one another, the bloody fight reaching its crescendo and yet I did not hear. I saw the bloody conflict, though I didn't see the true horror. My knuckles ached from the force with which I gripped the railing and yet I could barely feel it.

Jack was nowhere to be seen whilst Will was locked in a fierce battle of wills against whom I took to be the Captain of The Earl King. All I could do was stand and stare. They were evenly matched; both clearly well versed in sword fighting. Jack's rag tag crew, even Anamaria, were engaged in bloody battle, the crew of The Earl King slowly becoming overpowered. Unlike their Captain, they didn't seem to be as experienced at fighting. How curious that I should notice such things.

There was so much death happening all at once. It washed over me. Somehow I felt detached from these horrific events.

Eyes darting from one person to another, my laboured breathing reverberated around me, the only sound I could hear.

Everything slowed.

Crimp.

Now that I'd seen him I couldn't look away. A malicious grin sat upon his lips. He engaged a boy – no more than fifteen at most – in an unevenly matched battle, disarming him with ease. The boy slipped and fell down. He scrambled for a weapon as Crimp watched in amusement. My chest heaved.

He's just a boy. He's just a boy. He's just a boy.

* * *

Something made Crimp look up. Something made him look at me. He found his target, and his gaze locked. The malicious grin grew wider. Slowly, ever so slowly, Crimp reached down and dragged the boy – he's just a boy – up by his hair. He had tears flowing freely down his cheeks. They matched my own. He was afraid. I was afraid.

Crimp secured the boy. He faced me without struggle.

He knew.

He's too young to die.

The boy's shoulders slumped. Why wasn't he fighting? Crimp raised his free hand. A bloody dagger glinted in the sunlight. Rubies dripped onto the boys shoulder. He didn't see. He'd closed his eyes in acceptance.

Why wasn't he fighting?

He was too young to die.

The dagger brutally pierced the boy's throat, blood showering over his shirt and the hand that wielded the blade with ease. It sprayed across the deck, raining down on his clothes. All the while Crimp smiled. _'It was for you, all for you'_ , it seemed to say. He released me from his gaze, dropped the boy to the ground and threw himself back into the battle.

* * *

A crack from a pistol made me jump. The fight roared. Slapping my hands over my ears I tried desperately to stop hearing. Everything was so loud. Too loud. Too much. Someone was screaming. It wailed and rose to near hysterical proportions.

Arms clamped around my waist and dragged me away from the edge. The soul wrenching howl became deafening. I couldn't breathe. I was shaking.

The manor house. Mr Ainsworth falling. Blood creeping along the floor.

Sounds of battle. Blood spraying through the air. Swords clashing.

I couldn't distinguish the here and now from the past. Both became my present. My scream burned. I struggled to breathe. Both the manor house and the bloody battle warred for my attention.

The arms around me were clamped viciously. I did not fear them. They pulled me back and yet I couldn't look away, drawn to the merciless killing. Still I screamed. It shot into the air and swarmed around the ships.

A sharp slap on my cheek cut it short. My head whipped to the side. The sting burned. Mouth open wide, I took deep breaths, the slap forcing me to realise just how hysterical I had become. Mr Cotton stared down at me, sadness etched around his features.

The sounds of weapons being thrown to the ground in surrender echoed around us. I focused on Mr Cotton, steadying my breathing. It was all I could do. If I turned around before I was ready I'd truly become unhinged.

Mr Cotton seemed to understand exactly what I was feeling. Without any hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and offered the comfort I sorely craved. Haltingly I brought my arms up to wrap around him. Burying my head into his shirt, the tears streamed down my face.

How was I ever going to come back from this? It was far too much death to witness for one lifetime.

Though it had felt like hours, the battle had lasted mere minutes at most. Cheers of victory boomed into the air.

How could they cheer this massacre? Anger, sudden, swift and strong buried the anguish deep. It coerced me into twisting violently around.

How dare they.

Mr Cotton's vice like grip wouldn't let me move any closer, no matter how much I struggled. Before, all I could do was watch in horror at the bloodshed. Now, it fuelled me. The dead lay at their feet and still they cheered a victory?

The Earl King had three men left to crew her. Three men. A growl started low in my throat. How dare they be so heartless.

The merciless pirates surrounded the three men who had begun to beg for their lives on their knees. The sight of them pleading knocked the fight out of me as fast as it had arrived. It was too much to bear. My damaged heart shattered into smaller pieces, it ached for them. Anguish morphed with despair, a volatile cocktail that did not sit well.

The Captain was thrust into the middle of his surviving men, his hat and wig torn from his head. Blood trickled from a cut at his hairline. He stood tall. He did not beg.

A tap on my shoulder caused me to jump, heart bounding almost out of my chest. Mr Cotton. I'd forgotten that he was holding me back; he must have noticed my abrupt mood change. He gestured with his hand towards to hatch. Unable to find words, lest I scream or shout, I shook my head. How could I even fathom the idea of leaving now? There was no point in hiding away anymore; I'd already witnessed the bloody battle. The damage had been done. The aftermath was my consolation prize.

Mr Cotton shrugged in reply before resting the arm that held me in place warningly on my shoulder. Don't get too close it said. I heeded the warning; trying drawing much needed strength from his steady hold.

It didn't do much for my emotional state but provide a small comfort. Once again, I was detached. It wasn't actually me who was seeing the crew loot everything they possibly could. It wasn't me who watched them hoard gold and spices. It wasn't me that stayed motionless whilst they manoeuvred everything over to the Interceptor. I could see this all happening but I wasn't there. A shell of a woman stood in my place.

Time that had slowed suddenly charged forwards. Before I knew it, the majority of the crew were back on the Interceptor, finished with their looting. Bottles of rum were being cracked open in celebration of their success. Every cheer was another arrow through her shattered chest.

Crimp staggering across the gangplank had me slamming back into my shell. Stumbling backwards, I cringed into Mr Cotton, desperate to not be seen. Fear for the man who had so brutally murdered a child and enjoyed it had my breathing racing. For as long as he and I were on the same ship, I would never be safe.

Watching Crimp warily from the corner of my eye, I turned back to The Earl King. Will still hadn't made it back over. Despite everything, I needed the reassurance that he would make it onto the Interceptor safely. The course of events needed to get back on track. God knows I needed the stability of the known to help me feel somewhat sane, although I was sure my sanity had crumbled long ago. Besides which, with no way of contacting Tia Dalma, I had no idea if things would truly go back to what I'd previously thought I'd known. I just had to hope.

The pirates guarding the surviving crew members had just crossed over the gangplank, one by one. Will was the last in line. He lifted one leg onto the wooden plank. His back turned to the broken crew and their Captain.

Ripping myself out of Mr Cotton's hold, I darted towards the railings.

"Will! Duck!" I screamed as I charged.

Desperation is a powerful emotion. It makes people do stupid things. It makes them dangerous.

Will's eyes widened at my sudden shout before ducking just in time. The Captain of the Earl King lost his balance as his target moved unexpectedly, the dagger swinging wide.

Retaliation was swift. Jack suddenly appeared, flipped down from a beam and kicked the desperate man in the back, forcing him to drop his blade. The pirates around me bawled insults and jeers as they watched their Captain effortlessly fight his opponent whilst Mr Gibbs and Anamaria swung back over and engaged the remaining crew.

Will seized the opportunity provided for him and scaled the gangplank to safety. Rushing over to him, my eyes wandered up and down trying to find any serious injuries, just as he collapsed to his knees. I fell with him.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" I fussed anxiously, trying to look everywhere at once. Will shook his head but his gaze was so unconvincing that I planted my hands firmly on his shoulders to keep him still whilst I checked. When I didn't find any obvious injuries other than a few scratches and shallow nicks, my body sagged with relief.

His hands came to rest on top of my own, stilling their erratic twitching. When had I started shaking? Now I'd noticed, I realised that my entire body was racked with tremors. Shock. After everything that I'd witnessed, it didn't come as too much of a surprise.

"Arabella? Can you hear me?" I hadn't realised that Will had been talking to me, my gaze too focused on my blurring hands that no longer clasped his shoulders. Despite the blazing heat, I was cold. I nodded in response.

"Are you hurt?" He asked. I shook my head; I wasn't in any physical pain.

Will threw me a doubtful look. Cursing, he shrugged out of the blood stained Navy coat and wrapped it around my frame, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. If I'd been in the right frame of mind I probably would have laughed at his choice of words. However, all I could think was how grateful I was for the warmth he had provided despite the fact that we were technically in the middle of what I'd assumed was an argument.

His fussing abruptly stilled. Eyes widening in time with a tremendous cheer from the pirates made me whip my head around to see what had caused such a reaction. Gripping the coat tight around my shoulders, my breath caught as I saw the Captain of The Earl King, upside down, being hoisted into the air by a rope tied around his ankle. He dangled over the ocean, shouting to be put down. Begging, pleading, just like his men had done before him.

Jack acquiesced. He sliced the rope cleanly, sending the Captain tumbling down into the ocean. A loud splash let everyone know that he'd hit the depths. Within seconds, his screams for us to help him began once again, joined by the sounds of splashing.

I let out the breath I'd been holding, horror dawning at the realisation that we wouldn't return for him. He had two choices, succumb to the water or try and reach his broken ship only to starve to death. I was powerless.

Jack swung back over, a triumphant smirk on his lips. Anamaria, behind the wheel, set sail and we steadily left the decimated Earl King and its floundering Captain behind. Jack swaggered over to where Will and I still knelt upon the deck. Holding down a hand, he clasped Will's wrist and helped him up before clapping him on the shoulder. A few words were exchanged, too low for me to hear.

Then it was my turn.

I allowed him to help me to my feet but snatched my hand back as soon as I was steady. I could barely even look at him, never mind touch him. He'd just sentenced a man to death and was indirectly responsible for at least ten others. I was not ok with that.

With my body still shaking, I forced myself to meet his gaze. I could have sworn a flash of concern passed over his face, but when I looked harder, all I could see was the blank stare which I loathed. Clearly I was more delusional than I thought.

Fixing him with a disappointed look, I stared him down.

"I warned you," I spat out before shouldering unsteadily past him, pausing just long enough to throw the bloody coat at his feet. From the corner of my eye, I caught his face drop ever so slightly. Mr Cotton, my saving grace on this murderer infested ship, fell into step with me, wrapping a hand around my waist as I swayed precariously.

Without any form of communicating, he helped me down the hatch and to the cabin with the broken window before leaving me to sit on the bed. Whilst he was gone, I stared blankly at the tiny hole in the wall. Had it really been only this morning that it had been carved out with a bullet?

As I sat there, my thoughts wandered. Was it possible to have seen so much death in such a short space of time? Objectively I knew it was. I knew that people in my time went through similar things every day. But I'd been separated from it. It had been happening to other people, far away. My only association with it had been through news. What a privilege I hadn't realised I'd possessed until it had been ripped away.

To my surprise, Mr Cotton returned with a small plate of food and a steaming cup of ginger tea. I thanked him with as much gratitude as I could muster – it wasn't much – before turning to face the broken window, rudely dismissing him. I craved the solitude.

As soon as he was gone, I found the key for the door and locked it, pulling on the handle to make sure it was secure before tying some left over cotton from my bandages on the key and placing it around my neck. Feeling somewhat safer, I threw the stolen food out of the window. I didn't want any association with it.

Whilst I sat on the cold hard floor, hands curled around the tea I began to re-evaluate my assessment of the pirates I was sailing with. I'd thought they weren't as vicious as those sailing under Barbossa's command. How wrong I had been. How naïve I had been. They were as bad as each other. And I was stuck right in the thick of it.

 **A/n: Hi everyone, thanks for sticking around, I know I'm trash. But phew, what a chapter. This was really intense for me to write and it took me a really long time to try and get it right. I've started dealing with some difficult themes here and I don't want to gloss over them or make them seem unimportant.** **There was so much going on in this chapter and I'm aware that there's less speech than usual but I really wanted to show Arabella's struggles in as realistic of a way as possible.**

 **Please note that I'm debating changing the rating of this story to M. I haven't written any of the other fighting scenes which I know will be quite graphic but I have a feeling that this is going to be as graphic as it will get. I don't feel comfortable pushing the boundaries any further than what I have here.**

 **Thank you to everybody that reviewed and has stuck around to read this chapter. I'm unsure as to when my next update will be, but rest assured I have begun writing the next chapter so hopefully, all being well, it won't be as long of a wait.**

 **And finally, fun fact, I don't own anything except my OC. The Earl King and the Interceptor meeting them at this point in the timeline happened in the graphic novel apparently. I've not read these, merely saw it on the wiki page and decided that it was something a little different to add. I have taken many liberties with the events - like I said, I've not actually read the graphic novels - however some of them that I could find out does happen here such as the Captain and Will fighting and the Captain ending up in the ocean. I hope that it was something a little bit different to the usual for you all.**

 **Sorry for the long author's note. As always, please don't hesitate to let me know what you think. Until next time x**


	22. An Arcane Island

**Hi everyone! I'm back! Uni has started up again and it is so full on this year that I've not really had much time to write. Updates are going to keep being sporadic I'm afraid. Thank you everybody for reviewing and sticking around, it means a lot that you're enjoying Arabella's journey.  
Until next time x  
**

 **Warnings: some small mentions of abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OC.**

* * *

Rotten wood thrust out of the murky depths, piercing the heavy shroud of fog which had crept up on us unsuspectingly throughout the night. Silence prevailed across the deck as the pirates solemnly stared upon the unnaturally still water. Splintered masts wilted like weathered graves as the damp swirled ominously, enveloping the decrepit carcasses. I shuffled closer to Mr Cotton, supressing a shiver. The hairs on the back of my neck had prickled to attention; there was something malicious about this place.

Groaning and creaking, the Interceptor drifted forbearingly through the graveyard. Jack expertly navigated her; avoiding each and every grave as they loomed suddenly out of the mists. If I wasn't still mad at him, I would have been impressed with his skill.

Each and every person - except for Jack – leant against the railings, straining their eyes to see further than the mists were allowing. Mr Cotton and I stood as far from the others as we could possibly get – admittedly, not very far considering how small of a ship the Interceptor had begun to feel since yesterday. But still, I was thankful for Mr Cotton's fast thinking and support.

Despite trying to sequester myself away in the hovel of a room, I'd found that the adrenaline of an unsolicited (and extremely unhelpful) visit from Tia Dalma during my fitful sleep had caused inescapable pacing. Mr Cotton had arrived with some breakfast for me, took one look at my twitching body when I'd unlocked the door, grabbed my arm and hauled me up onto the deck. At first I had resisted, not wanting to face the other pirates – particularly Crimp after his explicit warning yesterday – but as soon as the damp slapped my face, the adrenaline seeped out, leaving me in an exhausted daze until we had sailed closer to the graveyard of ships.

The unsettled feeling that the goddess had left in her wake had yet to fully leave, too. I had the uncomfortable notion of believing that I wouldn't truly be rid of it until I was back to the safety of the twenty-first century.

The visit had started out like the others: silence, more vague warnings about changing things, 'beware the hurricane', a firm 'get a move on obtaining information', and ended with a heavily implied 'or else' - which was bothering me almost as much as Crimp who was stood at the helm of the Interceptor.

Almost.

I'd been watching him cautiously from the corner of my eye ever since I had been forced to step out into the open air. Every time he shifted his stance my whole body tensed, prepared to run away at the first opportunity.

Beady's screeching voice rippled amongst the surface of the water drawing my attention away from the pirate. It echoed around us as he sang eerily. The slicing of the silence and the sudden breeze lifted the blanket of tension that had been oppressing us.

"Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Mr Gibbs spoke. His voice was quiet but I heard it clearly enough.

"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asked, following Mr Gibbs as he moved over to adjust a rope on the other side of Mr Cotton from which I was stood. I tensed at the movement, causing Mr Cotton to cast me a concerned look. Nodding my head, I tried a tentative smile in order to reassure that I was ok. He raised his eyebrows sceptically.

"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. That was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl," Mr Gibbs regaled thoughtlessly before taking a swig from his flask.

"What? He failed to mention that," Will replied indignantly, turning to face Jack and consequently missing Mr Gibbs' impression of a deer caught in the headlights.

"Among other things," I muttered thinking about Jack's debt to Davy Jones. Mr Gibbs and Will turned to look at me in surprise.

After a short pause during which I silently berated myself for not possessing a filter, Mr Gibbs spoke again, watching me closely as he did so.

"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was," he began slowly before picking up the pace as his tale started to become more dramatic. "See, three days out on the venture, the first mate comes up to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure too, so Jack gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."

"Ah," sighed Will in sudden understanding. "So that's the reason for all the…?" He broke off as he pulled a face and wiggled his fingers, over exaggerating the Captain's eccentricities. A smile broke on his face at the amusement he saw in mine from the ridiculousness of his actions. It was easy to forget the atrocity he had been a part of yesterday when he acted this way.

"Reason's got nothing to do with it," Mr Gibbs countered, affronted by Will's blasé attitude towards Jacks hardships. He sat himself down as he continued.

"Now Will, Miss Fenn," Mr Gibbs paused to look at me, including me properly in the discussion. "When a man is marooned he is given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued."

Will and I nodded our heads in agreement, encouraging Mr Gibbs to continue. Even though I knew the tale, it was intriguing listening to Jack's First Mate recount it, especially since he had a flair for being dramatic.

"After three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly. But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it though, save for one man."

"Barbossa," I cut in before Mr Gibbs could finish. It was worth it seeing the flare of indignation in his eyes as I stole from him the great climax.

"Aye," he drawled.

"How did Jack get off the island?" Will questioned after we'd lulled into a silence, thinking over the implications of Mr Gibbs' tale. It was Will's first time hearing about Jack's past and it was a lot to take in. I could only imagine what was running through his head when he found out that the pirate he had freed from jail had been holding out for revenge against one man for ten years.

"Well, I'll tell ye," Mr Gibbs burst out. Employing the use of elaborate hand gestures, he continued. "He waded out into the shallows and there he waited three days and three nights till all manner of sea creatures came and acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft."

Will who had been unconsciously leaning forwards in anticipation visibly deflated at the absurd ending. Shuffling closer to Mr Cotton again, I tried to smother my smile of amusement from Will's expression.

"He roped a couple of sea turtles?" He asked in disbelief, tone falling flat.

"Aye, sea turtles," Mr Gibbs nodded enthusiastically.

"What did he use for rope?"

"Human hair…from my back. Let go of the anchor!" Jack drawled making us all jump in surprise. Blood thumping in my ears I glared at him. How did he always manage to sneak up on me?

"Let go of the anchor, aye!" The pirates yelled in response, rushing to carry out their Captain's orders. The sudden flurry of activity had me cringing as far back into the railings as I could manage whilst I clung to Mr Cottons sleeve to help me stay grounded.

"Mr Gibbs, young Mr Turner and I are to go ashore, prepare a boat," Jack continued, idly surveying his crew.

"Aye, Captain! What if the worst should happen?" Mr Gibbs replied, leaping to attention from his crouched position.

Jack turned and locked eyes with me as he spoke. "Keep to the code."

"Aye, the code," reiterated Mr Gibbs, jogging to the helm after enlisting Will's help.

Mr Cotton, sensing that Jack was wishing to speak with me, patted me on my shoulder comfortingly. Ignoring my wordless entreaties that screamed for him to stay where he was, he stepped away a few paces to give us some privacy. He did make sure to stay close enough though, which reassured me that I hadn't been completely abandoned.

Jack, for his part, clearly saw how skittish I was and wisely stayed where he was stood. Upon seeing that he wasn't about to move any closer, I settled a little, though my eyes didn't stop darting around to check that Mr Cotton was still within ear shot.

"You're not arguing," Jack finally began.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, not sure what I should be arguing against.

"I though you would have leaped at the chance to get off the ship, and yet here yer are not even asking me to let you come with us."

For a few seconds, I mulled over his statement. Surprise that he'd assessed my character so well was underpinned by my fear of what had passed and what was to come. Normally I probably would have been fighting to get off the ship but now I felt less inclined to be so irrational and thoughtless.

"I don't fancy another experience with Barbossa's crew, it didn't exactly end well the last time," I finally replied. He rubbed his goatee thoughtfully as I spoke.

"Ah, you wish not to leave the protection of Mr Cotton here."

"That has nothing to do with it," I bristled, not liking his tone. Mr Cotton had been kind to me and didn't deserve any ire for his decision of comforting someone in distress.

"Hmm. And what about Miss Swann?"

"Lizzy can handle herself just fine. I'd rather wait until she made it back here for our big reunion, so to speak, than risk my life walking onto a cursed island."

"It wouldn't be walking luv, you'd be sailing."

"Same difference," I quipped back. Jack smirked at the annoyance that was struggling to stay away from my expression. He moved to stand next to me and leant his back against the railings, crossing his ankles. I was touched at the fact that he still kept some space between us. It was thoughtful of him, knowing just how unnerved I was.

We stood in companionable silence for a little while as we watched Mr Gibbs and some of the other crew members lower the small rowing boat over the railings. The sight of Marty trying to help but backfiring on him completely had us both chuckling under our breath. Instead of being useful, he'd managed to get hoisted into the air, with his legs dangling about two feet off the deck, and yet he didn't even complain or look surprised.

A loud splash rang out as the rowing boat hit the ocean. Without a word, Jack stood to attention and starting striding over to the opposite side of the ship where Will and Mr Gibbs were waiting.

"Jack," I called suddenly. He paused and turned his head to look at me. "Don't do anything stupid," I finally settled on. He gave me a wicked grin in return before tipping his hat and climbing down the ladder, Will following quickly afterwards.

I hadn't really known what I was going to say when I'd called out to the pirate. A pressing need to make sure that he wouldn't do anything dangerous that would get Will, Elizabeth and himself, hurt had hit me with a force. If yesterday had taught me anything it was that I couldn't take things for granted anymore.

Beady landed on Mr Cotton's shoulder as he moved back over to stand with me.

"Yo ho ho," he cawed, happily causing me to wince at the jarring tone. How Mr Cotton could stand hearing that right next to his ear was beyond me. He reached up and patted the parrot affectionately whilst we watched Will row himself and Jack in the direction of the Isla de Muerta.

As soon as they had been engulfed by the blanket of fog, the crew settled back into a lethargic action. Cowering into Mr Cotton, I held my breath as Crimp strode passed and made his way below deck with many others rubbing their eyes. Sleep was evidently on their agenda. Before long, Mr Cotton, Mr Gibbs, Anamaria and I were the only people in the open air.

All we had left to do was wait.

Wait for Will and Elizabeth to return. Wait to abandon Jack. I had no idea how long the failed ceremony was going to take and I quickly found that time was passing slower than I thought it would.

Mr Gibbs walked around the deck, double checking over the ropes securing the sails to the masts. As he came towards the ones by which I was stood, I put my fear to one side, curiosity beginning to burn.

"Mr Gibbs," I began tentatively. "You chose this crew didn't you?"

"Yes, why lass? What's on yer mind?" He asked with surprise.

"Are you familiar with them all?" I countered, avoiding answering his question.

"Yes."

I felt the curious gazes of everyone from the deck boring into me, making me shuffle uncomfortably from the sudden attention.

"What can you tell me about Crimp?" I finally said with a sigh, deciding to stop dancing around the subject that I wished to learn more of.

Mr Cotton patted me on the arm, prompting me to look up at him. I was met with a concerned gaze, asking if I was really sure that I wanted to know. Nodding at him, I turned back around to Mr Gibbs and Anamaria who had made her way over to join the conversation. Perhaps, she too, wanted to know more about the excessively violent man whom she was sailing with.

After deliberating whether or not to speak the truth, Mr Gibbs nodded once in understanding before settling in to tell another tale.

"First met him back when I was working for the Royal Navy," he finally began, looking at me hesitatingly, as if expecting me to be shocked by such news. "He and I served on the same ship for a while."

I blinked in disbelief. How on Earth had Crimp managed to be employed by the Navy? Judging from the gasp by Anamaria, the revelation had shaken her as well.

"We needed more people to crew the ship, and volunteers weren't exactly forthcoming at the time. So, we'd stayed docked in Liverpool for a while, trying to rouse men to join the Navy, and when that didn't work, the Captain decided that measures he didn't particularly agree with would have to be taken. We'd got our orders, see. Had to sail out to the Caribbean before the week was out, if he didn't go, he'd've been in trouble."

Mr Gibbs paused to catch his breath, glancing at our enraptured faces before he continued. "I didn't know Crimp all that well, but we both got given our orders that day. I was to stay and man the ship with a skeleton crew of sailors whilst Crimp was to rouse some men and form a press gang."

Anamaria drew a sharp breath, making it whistle through her teeth as Mr Cotton tensed besides me.

"What's a press gang?" I interrupted, not knowing the full extent of the others reactions, only being able to guess that it wasn't a good thing. They all twisted round to stare at me in surprise.

"You don't know?" Anamaria asked incredulously.

"No?" I replied uncertainly, my intonation making it sound more like a question. From their shocked faces it was something that I should have either known or should have kept my mouth firmly shut about and tried to figure it out myself. My lack of knowledge these past few days had astounded me.

"It's a form of forced recruitment lass." Mr Gibbs eventually carried on, being the first to overcome the surprise. "Still rife today. The Navy use it to crew their ships." My mouth formed a little 'o' in understanding. A chill slithered down my back at the realisation of where Mr Gibbs' tale was heading.

"He gathered a group of ten men, the roughest sort you could think of short of finding actual pirates to do yer dirty work for yer, and set off into the town. For three nights, they went around terrorising and bringing back unwilling men coerced into service. Stories started going round. Crimp were getting a bit too big for his boots. A bit too violent too. The men they started bringing back to the ship were in a bad way; swollen eyes, bruises around their necks, that sort of thing. They'd been roughed up; one man had it so bad he couldn't even see."

Mr Gibbs glanced around to make sure that nobody else had managed to sneak up onto the deck.

"The Captain soon got wind of it all and called Crimp up to see him. Asked him why he'd been bringing them in when they weren't even fit to walk never mind sail. Crimp spun him some nonsense about it not being his gang's fault and continued. Then, the night before we were due to sail, Crimp hauled this boy of sixteen up the gangplank and chucked him onto the deck at our feet. Poor blighter were missing two fingers and was black and blue. That were it for the Captain, he fired Crimp as soon as he took one look at the young lad. Said he could tolerate the other stuff he'd done, but to break the law and impress a lad under eighteen years, well, that he couldn't forgive. Reckon it reminded him of his own young lad at home and seeing 'im in such a state made him realise what lengths Crimp would go to."

Unclenching my jaw, I strode away from Mr Gibbs to look out at the sea. Anger was running thick and fast through my veins.

"Didn't see 'im for a while after that," Mr Gibbs continued unheeding of my turbulent frame of mind. "Next time I saw him we were both disgraced men and had embraced the pirate's life. Not much has changed, mind," he added thoughtfully.

"Why in the hell did you let him set foot on this ship when you knew just how unhinged he is?" I spat out, the anger finally bursting free.

"If Jack wants the Pearl back he's gonna need good fighters and Crimp is one of the best," he replied.

"Oh sod that! You've endangered everyone!"

"Miss Arabella, Crimp won't harm you. He may not like you but he won't lay a hand on any woman. Even he has morals."

"You'll have to excuse me for not believe you," I scoffed. I didn't understand how he was acting so calm about this. He'd been there yesterday when I'd been branded a whore and yet he still thought that Crimp wasn't a threat to me?

Mr Gibbs was about to reply but shut his mouth quickly whilst our little party dispersed as a few of the crew members made their way up onto the deck. Seething as I was, I found it difficult to let the matter drop. What Crimp had done yesterday was clearly meant as a threat to me and yet I was just supposed to believe that he wouldn't harm me because he had some morals? Not likely.

I stormed over to Mr Gibbs who had taken over standing by the wheel, ready to continue saying my piece. Before I could fully make it, Crimp wandered back out onto the deck, as if summoned by our talking about him. Fear smashed through the anger, leaving me wilted. Dashing the remaining distance, I hid behind Mr Gibbs until the pirate in question went below deck again.

"Can't you see how frightening he is?" I eventually murmured, imploring him to see things from my perspective.

"Miss Arabella, I know the type. Crimp is menacing, but he's nothing more than a bully. Try not to let him get to you. It's like I said, he won't physically hurt a woman. Any self-respecting man wouldn't do such a thing." Mr Gibbs responded in a low tone, being mindful of my fragile state.

"Easier said than done," I subsequently replied with a sigh. I knew that there would be no changing his mind on the matter. Experience had taught me that he was too stubborn and set in his ways despite how much I begged and pleaded.

Minutes passed as we both sat there, gazing in the direction of the cursed island, waiting for Will and Elizabeth to return. My mind turned to Amy and home. Shame filled me as I realised that regardless of everything that had happened yesterday, I hadn't thought of her once. A pressing need for a home comfort gripped me tightly.

"Mr Gibbs," I tried in a casual manner, "do you have a deck of cards?"

In response he pulled a tattered pack out from a concealed pocket and smiled.

"Perfect. Have you ever played, 'Seven's'?"

I took them from him as he shook his head, and with Mr Cotton – who'd silently followed me when I'd stormed over – sat down and set about dealing out the cards whilst explaining the rules. A few games in and we were stuck at a stale mate as both men took to the game like ducks to water. Mr Gibbs and Mr Cotton were surprisingly poker faced throughout, making it all the more enjoyable and much less of an easy win compared to when I'd play against Amy.

Anamaria shouted out that someone was incoming, startling my attention away from the game. Dropping my winning hand, I ran over to where she was stood near the ladder, just as Elizabeth made her way over the railings.

"Not more pirates," she moaned, clothes dripping seawater onto the deck.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth," Mr Gibbs enthused as he went over to help her upright.

"Mr Gibbs?" She questioned with disbelief. Looking around manically whilst Will crested the railings, her eyes landed on me, narrowing ever so slightly.

"Arabella? What are you doing here?"

"Hey boy, where be Jack?" Mr Gibbs cut in before I could respond to Elizabeth. I settled on giving her a small wave paired with a smile.

"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" She asked, attention drawn away from me at the mention of the man whom had held her hostage.

"He fell behind," Will uttered sharply as he threw his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders and starting drawing her away.

"Keep to the code," Mr Gibbs yelled making me jump.

"Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! Make quickly, divvies!" Anamaria quickly took charge of the ship, deeming it hers to Captain. The crew burst into movement, readying the Interceptor to set sail. Those who were awake roused everyone who'd been sleeping and soon the deck was overflowing with pirates once again.

Feeling the panic rear its ugly head, I darted below deck not wanting to be caught in the crowd. Just as I made it into the kitchen a resounding slam bellowed through the cabin. Breath coming in short pants I tried to re-orientate myself.

"Will, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." Elizabeth's desperate pleas drifted through, grounding me back into the present. I wasn't being shot; everything was as ok as it could be.

Just as I'd stumbled back into motion, Elizabeth ran through the opposite doorway to the direction I was heading, cradling her bandaged hand, and looking thoroughly distraught.

"How much did you hear?" She eventually asked, after to stilling upon seeing me stood at the bottom of the ladder.

"Enough," I settled on, not wanting to give too much away.

She nodded her head dejectedly, before startling me when her arms where flung about my waist.

"You have no idea how nice it is to see a friendly face," she whispered, clinging to me.

"I think I have a little idea."

She chuckled before letting go. "I suppose you're right." I smiled at her a little, still surprised at her sudden warmth. I'd been expecting anger and endless questions, not hugs. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along the corridor towards the Captain's Quarters, evidently familiar with the ship.

"You must tell me everything, Ara. How is it that you and Will came to be in the company of pirates and Jack Sparrow?"

I should have known that it would be too good to be true. Settling down into one of the chairs, I sighed and tugged at my wild hair.

"Where do I even start?" I replied, trying to forestall the inevitable.

"At the beginning," she retorted smartly, sitting prim and proper in her own chair.

"Ok," I began, trying to from a coherent order. "So, the raid…"


	23. An Odious Negotiation

**Warning: Graphic depictions of violence and I think like one swearword?**

 **Disclaimer: sad as it is, I don't own anything except my OC**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: An Odious Negotiation**

"I told you it wouldn't work," I cried to Anamaria, eyes focused on the Black Pearl behind us.

"It was a good plan, up till now," she countered. Her gaze flickered around the deck as she tried to stop the Interceptor from overturning on the rough shoals.

"Was it though?" I called back hysterically only to be ignored.

"Gibbs!" Will shouted over the roar of the crew, drawing my attention away. "We have to make a stand. We must fight! Load the guns," he commanded.

"With what?" Anamaria shot back.

"Anything. Everything! Anything we have left," he implored, already on the move to find weapons.

Clinging to the rail with a death grip, I forced myself to stay calm. The Pearl was so close now that I could hear the bellows from her crew, chanting intimidatingly. At least half an hour had passed since Elizabeth and I had found ourselves in the midst of the crew in a clamour. The Pearl had been a looming storm on the horizon and yet it felt like I'd blinked and she was suddenly right behind us pursing with a fierce determination.

"Load the guns! Take shot and langrage. Nails and crushed glass!" Mr Gibbs darted across the deck barking his orders, hurrying the crew into action once more.

Anamaria gripped the wheel firmly her knuckles turning white from the strain of keeping us upright amongst the shoals as she risked a glance behind her. I caught her gaze and saw my own fear mirrored. She hid it well but the apprehension was fighting to be seen.

"The Pearl is going to luff up on our port quarter. She'll rake us without ever presenting a target," Mr Gibbs said, panic straining his tone as he ran back over to us. Elizabeth stared out at the Pearl, knocking me out of the way as she stumbled to the railings for a better look.

"Lower the anchor on the right side," she finally spoke, an idea dawning. "On the starboard side!"

"It certainly has the element of surprise," Will murmured understanding her plan.

Anamaria froze as she too began to understand the risk involved. "You're daft, lady! You both are."

"Daft like Jack!" Mr Gibbs burst out, laughing with hysteric excitement. "Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, ye dogs, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!" He cried out to the crew.

A loud splash echoed over the cacophony as the anchor hit the water and sank readily to the seabed. Clutching desperately onto the railings my breath latched in my throat as the Interceptor juddered and swung up wildly.

"Let go!" Elizabeth and I screamed in unison to Anamaria who still held a tight grip on the wheel. Taking a step back she loosened her grasp. The wheel whirled around quickly becoming a blur. The ship followed its movement lurching and moaning in protest at being dragged away from its previous course. Stepping back up to the spinning wheel she took control and sailed us head first into the danger.

Cursing under my breath I kicked myself for not realising sooner just how much danger I was about to be in once more. Fear had become a fast and constant friend on this journey. It paralysed me as I watched the Pearl grow nearer. The thunderous roars of both crews magnified as we near on collided.

A rifle was thrust into my arms. It drew me back into action.

"I don't know how to shoot!" I called after Marty in alarm. It would be useless in my hands. When he didn't return I dropped it to the floor as if it had burnt my fingers. My body fell heavily after it. Eyeing it warily from my crouched position, I tucked my arms around my knees mentally preparing for the onslaught that was coming.

"Keep us steady now…" Will called out. Moaning in fear, I pushed my back up against the railings hoping that I could stay hidden.

"Now!" He shouted.

"Fire all!" Yelled Elizabeth.

Cannon fire rang out loud. The deafening bangs collided creating a resounding bass amongst the sharp cracks of pistols being fired. Clamorous shouts from both crews fought to be heard amongst the sudden explosion of noise.

Clapping my hands over my ears, I tried to stay in the present. Somehow despite being in the thick of combat I wasn't as affected as I thought I'd be. The sheer amount of violence I'd witnessed had started to desensitise me, if only a little. I took deep breaths as I attempted to focus, startling when Elizabeth crouched down next to me.

"We could use a few more ideas, lass," Mr Gibbs muffled voice broke through my ineffective sound barrier.

"Your turn," Elizabeth shot back, preoccupied with ducking down as a bullet whizzed over her head.

"We need us a devil's dowry," he murmured before rising up and firing off a shot at an incoming pirate.

"We'll give them her!" I kicked out at Anamaria, forcing her to drop the pistol she'd aimed at Elizabeth. She growled in outrage as she bent to retrieve it.

"They don't want…"

"She's not what they're after," Will interrupted me as he fought his way over.

"The medallion," Elizabeth gasped as she searched for it at her throat. Will wasted no time in darting off to go and search for it. Flinching as more and more cracks from the pistols started smashing through my ear drums, I pulled my legs up to my chest again.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," I mumbled to myself, trying in vain to stay calm. Although I was doing a hell of a lot better than last time, I could feel myself dangling over the edge of the precipice ready to fall at any moment.

"Help me," Elizabeth called, drawing me out of my growing panic. I glanced over at her. "Come on Arabella, stay with me. Help me secure this, I can't do it myself!" She shouted.

Taking a deep breath I shuffled over making sure to keep my head below the railings in case of a stray bullet flying my way.

"What do I do?" I shouted back, grateful for the distraction.

"Pull it down whilst I secure it."

Doing as she said, I wrapped my shaking hands around the rough rope and pulled as hard as I could, trying not to let go as a particularly large bang echoed between the warring ships. Just as she secured it a thunderous smash followed by sharp creaking sounded from the middle of our deck. We both watched in bewilderment as the main mast toppled over, connecting the two ships.

"Shit," I muttered.

Elizabeth turned to look at me, surprise evident in her dainty features from my profanity. Silence rang out louder than any of the cannons had been as the crew took in what had just happened. Smoke curled around us making seeing beyond the carnage difficult.

I was dumbstruck with just how different it was to be in the midst of things compared to being a comfortable distance away from reality. It was much easier watching things unfold from the safety of my sofa than being heavily – reluctantly – involved.

Shots suddenly cracked once more, desperation lingering in the air. My eyes widened as I caught sight of a hand grapple soaring through the air in my direction. Throwing myself backwards, it narrowly missed catching my face as its metal claws clung to the railing where I had just been crouched. Elizabeth picked up the rifle I'd neglected, loaded it expertly, turned and shot at the pirate who was swinging in our direction. I looked on at her in shock, marvelling at the sudden change in her demeanour. Where had she learned to shoot with such accuracy?

Shouts came from every direction as Barbossa's crew boarded the Interceptor drawing our crew into a bloody battle.

Groaning, I realised there was nowhere I could run. I didn't have a choice. One way or another I'd have to defend myself.

Elizabeth kicked a plank of splintered wood in my direction as she fired off another shot, hitting the pirate in the arm causing him to fall into the churning water below. Gingerly I grasped the wood as I tried to get used to the weight whilst simultaneously fighting the urge to throw it overboard and find somewhere to hide.

A pirate crept up behind Elizabeth aiming to take her unawares. My vision narrowed as he neared. He paused, sword poised high in the air ready to slice. Without thinking I threw the plank hard, hoping to distract him. It struck his temple and he dropped unceremoniously to the floor.

Elizabeth glanced back at the sudden thud as I knelt there wide eyed, mouth open in shock. My hands shook as I desperately crawled over and tried to feel a pulse on his grimy neck.

"Please don't be dead," I whispered over and over.

I didn't know what had come over me. I just knew that I couldn't allow Elizabeth to get hurt. Breathing a sigh of relief I leaned back on my feet as a weak pulse fluttered under my fingers. He was alive, just unconscious.

"Duck!" Elizabeth yelled at me as she stood up. Dropping immediately I heard her grunt as her fist connected with a pirate behind me.

Adrenaline was pounding hard through my veins as I sat up only to feel a hand connect with my ankle. Screaming I yanked my foot away from the pirate and kicked wildly. A small amount of grim satisfaction sat uncomfortably in my gut as my foot connected and he groaned in pain.

"That's not very nice." Jack's voice rang out from above as he fought off another pirate who'd decided to try his luck taking Elizabeth down.

Grappling for the plank of wood, I cried out as the splintered edge bit into my palm. The pirate I had kicked was relentlessly trying to grab at me. Facing him, I smashed the wood onto every available surface of his body that I could reach. Suddenly his hand shot out and he ripped it away from me. Eyes widening I tried to scramble backwards as a malicious grin bloomed on his lips. Predatorily he pursued, his movements slow and purposeful. His eyes glinted wildly as he took me to be an easy prey. Taking advantage of his underestimation, as soon as he was close enough, my fist shot out. It smacked his mouth, splitting his lip. Blood spurted out as his head was forced to the side whilst pain radiated through my knuckles. Cursing I held my hand to my chest and kicked wildly again pushing him over as my boot hit his stomach. From the corner of my eye I notice Elizabeth leap up and dart off to find Will.

Jack jumped over to the pirate who was spitting blood onto the deck and clutching his stomach. Before I could blink he hauled him up and tossed him overboard. The adrenaline was making me twitchy as I scurried backwards to the broken and battered railings trying to put as much as space as possible between us.

Frowning slightly at my mistake, I panted heavily. I'd backed into a corner. He crouched down in front of me taking in the way I grasped my hand to my chest.

"Did you do this?" Jack nodded to the pirate slumped on the deck three feet away from us. I couldn't do anything but try and catch my breath as I cradled my aching hand. Something in my expression must have confirmed that I'd been the one to render the pirate unconscious as a small amused smile spread on his lips.

"Didn't think you had it in you, Bella," he said softly. The Interceptor rocked as more pirates boarded jostling my hand. A small moan of pain escaped before I could stop it. Jack's eyes darted down to my cradled knuckles.

"Can I see?"

Hesitatingly I held it out for him to have a look. Abruptly I pulled it back, eyes wide.

"Behind you," I whispered, hoping that he'd hear over the explosion of noise. Faster than I thought possible Jack stood up and disarmed the pirate before kicking him down to the deck where Mr Gibbs pounced, drawing him into a duel. Crouching down again, he gave me his undivided attention.

"Let's see," he said, being mindful of how skittish I was. This was all too much. I twitched nervously as he invaded my space. All I could see was him. The battle raged on behind us becoming less important.

Ever so gently he grasped my arm with his calloused hand, running his fingers over my swelling knuckles.

"Just bruised I think," he murmured as he placed my palm down onto my knee. "Shouldn't take too long to heal."

I nodded and blew a strand of hair out of my eyes. I didn't trust myself to speak. His gentleness had affected me more than I'd been prepared for.

"That's gonna be a problem," Jack responded moving a little closer.

"What is?" I finally croaked out finding my voice.

By way of reply he took off his hat and held it between his teeth. Slowly he reached out, pausing for a moment when I flinched before continuing. Grasping my hair gently he pulled it up to the top of my head holding it with one hand. With his other he placed the hat on top. It was slightly too large but the sheer volume of my hair stopped it from slipping too far down. Rocking back onto his heels he nodded his head.

"Better," he said quietly. I barely heard him over the sounds of swords clashing with one another. He opened his mouth to say something else when he caught sight of something above me.

"Monkey!" He yelped as he dashed off after it. My mouth dropped open in shock. That was it? He wasn't even going to try and help me? Grumbling under my breath at his audacity I stood up unsteadily. I was left feeling weak from the adrenaline starting to leave my body, fear rising its ugly head now that Jack had taken off.

"Stupid undead monkey," I muttered, slipping slightly on the stairs. The fight was beginning to wind down as the crew I'd been sailing with started surrendering. Just as I was about to lose my footing my upper arms were grasped in a punishing grip and I was hauled off the floor.

Feet dangling I screamed and writhed as the two pirates snarled at me to shut up. Precariously they carried me over to the Pearl whilst I complied with their warning. The pirates dropped me onto the deck roughly causing me to stumble slightly.

"Will!" Elizabeth screamed as she was dragged away from the blocked hatch. Someone pushed my shoulder forcing me to look away and pitch forwards into the gathered group of the remaining crew who'd already surrendered.

Without a word of complaint – fear had made me mute – I only winced when my wrists were pulled harshly in front of my body and a rope lashed tightly around them.

Elizabeth was suddenly thrust into the fold between myself and Mr Gibbs as Ragetti starting binding us all to the main mast. I grabbed onto her dress trying to get her attention whilst they weren't looking.

"Don't," I whispered imploringly, looking pointedly at the rope that was stretched loosely around us. A single nod told me she'd heard my plea yet her hands still fiddled anxiously. Sighing, I wondered why I even bothered trying to help; nobody had listened to me before, why would they start doing so now?

I longed to rub at my eyes. Though the sky had since cleared from all of the smoke, it had still irritated and left them sore. Instead, I glanced up and noticed just how far away from the Interceptor we had already sailed. It was barely even floating, nothing more than a smoking decimated shell of its former splendour.

"If any of you so much as thinks the word 'parley' I'll have your guts for garters," Pintel spoke menacingly whilst Ragetti chuckled.

I couldn't look at either of them. Even hearing their voice had made me petrified beyond belief. They killed Mr Ainsworth without breaking a sweat. They could just as easily do the same to me. Although since the massacre of the Earl King the timeline had righted itself, I still wasn't going to take it for granted any more. I had no way of knowing for definite what would happen.

My trembling had attracted the notice of Mr Gibbs who looked down at me warily. Glancing up at him, I caught his eyes widen as he gawped at Jack's hat perched atop my head.

His shock didn't last long. I closed my eyes in resignation as Elizabeth darted out from under the ineffective binding Ragetti had done before stumbling to a stop as a loud bang echoed across the ocean. Angry flames charred the clouds as the Interceptor exploded sending chunks of wood splattering into the sea.

"Will!" She gasped before a visible rage overcame her. Racing forwards she started pounding at Barbossa's chest. "You've got to stop it! Stop it!" She cried hysterically. Barbossa stood there and laughed with his crew at her useless attack.

"Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favour." He pushed her into the throng of eager pirates who started grabbing at her dress.

"Barbossa!" Will called out as he climbed on the railings of the Black Pearl, dripping water onto the cannon beneath him.

"Will!" Elizabeth gasped, her short grieving period coming to an abrupt end.

Silence fell as the pirates stared at him unwilling to let her go. I glanced over at Jack who'd couldn't have looked more stoical if he'd tried.

"She goes free," Will finally spoke as he turned the pistol he was holding towards Barbossa.

"What's in your head boy?" Barbossa shot back, eyes narrowed.

"She goes free!"

"You've only got one shot, and we can't die," he laughed.

Jack seized the moment and rushed over to Will. "Don't do anything stupid," he implored.

"You can't, but I can." Will ignored Jack's plea and turned the gun to his head. His hand began shaking imperceptibly.

"Like that," Jack muttered sarcastically, lowering his head in defeat. Barbossa stared at Will like he was figuring out a difficult puzzle.

"Who are you?" He finally spoke. Jack's head whipped up as he ran over and placed himself between Will and Barbossa.

"No one. He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Eunuch."

"My name is William Turner."

Jack's face dropped once more. He backed away. There was no way he could do any damage control now.

"My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins." Collective gasps were drawn from Barbossa's crew as they made the connection.

"He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us!" I snorted at the superstitious statement. Mr Gibbs apparently wasn't the only one worried about old wives tales. Suddenly my vision was blocked by a broad back and dark dreadlocks. Jack.

"On my word do as I say or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker," Will called out over the chaotic noise. Huffing, I jabbed my fingers into Jack's back trying to get him to move. He didn't even flinch.

"Name your terms, Mr Turner."

"Elizabeth goes free."

"Yes we know that one," Barbossa laughed. "Anything else?"

Jack started moving his arms, presumably to get Will's attention. Judging from his hesitation it worked.

"And the crew," Will eventually responded. "The crew are not to be harmed."

"Agreed," Barbossa called. "Men, drag him down."

From what little I could see some of the pirates holding Elizabeth dropped her and rushed at Will. Pushing at Jack's back again I tried to get him to move away. Frustratingly he stepped even closer to me. The front point of his hat tipped upwards letting loose some of my hair.

Unexpectedly Elizabeth screamed. Jumping in surprise, I knocked the hat backwards. More hair fell into my face.

"Go on, Poppet, go! Walk the plank!" Pintel goaded.

"Barbossa, you lying bastard! You swore she'd go free!" Will yelled.

"Don't dare impugn my honour, boy. I agreed she'd go free but it was you who failed to specify when and where." Barbossa roared. Shuffling to the side, I tried to peek around Jack's arm. I had just enough room to see Elizabeth standing on the plank jutting out over the ocean.

"Though it does seem like a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?" Barbossa chuckled, ignoring Will's muffled protestations.

"Aye!" The crew yelled.

"So I'll be having that dress back before you go." The mutinous Captain carried on darkly.

"It goes with your black heart." Elizabeth ripped off the burgundy gown revealing her nightdress and threw it violently at Barbossa who caught the fabric and pressed it to his face.

"Oh, it's still warm," he chuckled.

Jack shuffled to the side and blocked my vision once more. "I've always liked you," he muttered to the pirate whom was standing guard over us.

"Off you go! Come on!" Another pirate goaded Elizabeth.

Not being able to see was making everything worse. I wrapped my hands around the back of Jack's shirt for comfort, biting my lip at the pain it caused.

"Too long!" A loud thud, scream and splash rang out as Elizabeth hit the water.

Jack was abruptly ripped from my fingers and dragged away. "I'd really rather hoped we were past all this," he said cheerfully.

"Jack. Jack. Did ya not notice? That be the same little island that we made you Governor of on our last little trip," Barbossa replied equally as casual, pointing in the direction of a small island not too far off.

"I did notice."

"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape but I doubt it." Barbossa brandished his sword and held it to Jack's throat. My pulse started pounding in my ears. "Of you go," he spoke cruelly.

"Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot," Jack stalled.

"By the powers, you're right. Were be Jack's pistol? Bring it forwards." Barbossa commanded not taking his eyes away from Jack.

Ragetti turned back to the pirate who was guarding us before skidding to a halt, his wide eyes staring straight at me.

"R-r-red hair, red hair!" He stammered, pointing in my direction. Everyone's eyes suddenly burned into me, a few pirates going so far as to mutter prayers. My eyes darted to Jack as Mr Gibbs voice echoed in my ears.

It's bad luck to have a woman on board, particularly a red-head.

Staring at him, the realisation of why he'd covered my hair hit me like a truck. He'd tried to protect me.

"You girl, come here," Barbossa commanded. I grimaced but reluctantly did as I was told. I didn't want to make things worse by disobeying and further angering him. Shakily I ducked under the ropes holding tightly onto Jacks hat with my bound hands. Apparently I was moving too slow. The giant pirate who'd stomped on the plank to get rid of Elizabeth pushed me closer than I would have preferred to the Captain.

I stood before him feeling like cattle in an auction. Barbossa looked me up and down before removing Jack's hat from my head, smiling when I flinched away. Turning the hat over he looked between Jack and I.

"This looks somewhat familiar," he said. His whole expression screamed danger. "What's yer name girl?"

"Arabella," I whispered too afraid to speak any louder. I kept my gaze on Jack fearing that if I looked at Barbossa I would freeze entirely.

"I know you!" Pintel's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting whatever Barbossa was about to say. "You should be dead!" A low murmur rose up from the crew surrounding us. I turned to Pintel warily, hoping he'd finished.

"She were in the Governors' house, got hit by that chandelier!"

"Is that so?" Barbossa muttered, a calculating look spread across his face. "In that case, you'd better join yer mistress out there. Can't be having any more bad luck, can we men?"

The crew roared in response. The swords that had been pointing at Jack were suddenly thrust in my face as they chanted for me to walk the plank. Trembling, I stepped onto the unstable slab of wood and stood next Jack who held out his hands in a placating gesture.

"Seeing as there's three of us, a gentleman would give us a three pistols," he said, trying to distract whilst inching in front of me. Ragetti had since received Jack's effects now that I was no longer stood in his way.

"It'll be one pistol as before. You can be the gentleman and shoot one of the lady's and starve to death with the other. I'm sure you'll find a way to pass the time," Barbossa replied with a lewd grin. He threw jack's effects into the sea before holding his sword up to Jack's chest.

"Sorry luv," Jack muttered. Before I could ask what he was talking about a swift push of his shoulder was delivered into my chest knocking me off balance. I plunged into the clear sea below.

* * *

 **A/n: Real excited to bring you this chapter! It's quite fast paced and we see a major shift in Arabella's attitude which will be explored more in depth in the next chapter (it's all planned out and almost finished being written. It's quite hard hitting). I hope I did it justice! Originally I was going to combine the two and keep it as one long chapter but then I got to over 4000 words and natural stopping point so I kept them separate instead.**

 **I've had this chapter planned out and mostly written almost since I started writing this story - 11 months ago! It's crazy! It's primarily why Arabella is ginger, I felt like it was a plausible reason for her being marooned on the island with Jack and Elizabeth. Hope this came across well!**

 **Had a major panic when I realised there's probably less than 10 chapters left of this ARC...**

 **As always, thank you to my lovely readers and reviewers new and old!**

 **Unedited as per usual.**

 **Until next time x**


	24. An Increasing Camaraderie

**Warning: Graphic scene, also potentially some triggers, a lot of guilt and a cuss word or two**

* * *

 **23: An Increasing Camaraderie**

Panting from the exertion of swimming whilst my hands were bound, I waded up the bright white sand of the beach. I heard Jack pause a few paces behind me. Angrily I twisted to face him but was met with his broad back. He was too busy forlornly staring at his beloved Pearl, shaking the ropes from his wrist on one hand whilst the other maintained a white knuckled grip on his effects.

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship." He murmured. Narrowing my eyes, I splashed over before throwing my full weight behind a shove directed his way. To my chagrin he barely even stumbled.

"It'll be the last time you set foot on a ship if you ever do that to me again, you idiot!" I seethed. Turning on my heel I waded back to the shore, clenching my fingers into fists.

"Oi!" Jack shouted. He trudged through the sand, water splashing around his ankles as he raced to catch up with me. Twisting around at his indignant shout, I narrowed my eyes at him. As soon as he caught sight of my expression he stopped dead in his tracks, the surf skimming the surface of his boots.

"You didn't even know if I could swim and yet you still felt it prudent to push me of a bloody boat?" I asked dangerously.

"Ship," he corrected, taking a small step forwards.

"Would you like to say that again?" My blood was boiling. I didn't enjoy swimming at the best of times but at least I could have been prepared for it unlike this. He had no regard for my safety and that hurt.

"Err, no." Jack raised his finger as if to point out a fact but seemed to think better of it. I gave a grim smile of satisfaction.

"Good. That's what I thought." I growled back.

Stumbling over the sand I made my way over to where Elizabeth stood observing us. Ignoring her, I tried to rub my wrists to alleviate some of the itchiness that was beginning. Wordlessly she took my wrists and tried to pull on the rope but to no avail. She only succeeded in making it tighter. The friction combined with the sea water was grating on my bare skin. If I didn't get them off soon, my wrists would be red raw and I didn't need another wound added to all the splinters in my hands. Besides, my knuckles were still throbbing from the punch I'd delivered earlier.

Jack swaggered across, looking at us both warily before zeroing in on my wrists and Elizabeth's useless tugging.

"Will you come and help already?" I called out, wanting to get rid of the uncomfortable sensation.

"No such thing as please?" He replied cheekily. Grumbling under my breath I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Please." I spat out.

Without another word, Jack brandished his sword and carefully used it to cut at the ropes, slicing through them cleanly one by one until at last I was free.

"Thank you," I murmured, already going to work on trying to suck the splinters out of my hands. Jack nodded in recognition but started making his way over to the palm trees further inland.

"Jack, you were marooned on this Island before, weren't you?" Elizabeth called, running after him. Sedately I followed the pair, wanting to be out of the harsh sun but too focused on removing every last splinter in case they became infected.

"So we can escape in the same way you did then?" She asked hopefully only to stumble back when Jack suddenly rounded on her.

"To what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice…" he paused as he gazed down at her shift, prompting her to scowl and cross her arms defensively at his lewd behaviour.

"Unlikely," he continued. "Young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him."

Jack twisted back around and continued knocking on the trunks of various palm trees trying to find the right one.

"Just say it how you see it," I muttered darkly.

"I'm an honest man, love." He replied quickly.

I snorted in response, not even deigning to give him my thoughts on that. Elizabeth silently watched our exchange with her narrowed eyes before continuing her plea.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow! You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot." Jack, ignoring Elizabeth, found the right tree and took four exaggerated steps away from it before jumping up and down on the spot.

"Are you the pirate I've read about or not? How did you escape last time?"

"Last time? I was here a grand total of three days, all right? Last time," he paused again as he reached down and opened a hidden cellar door before climbing down the steps. Wandering over, I caught sight of a rickety staircase as he dropped from view. Elizabeth glanced over at me, exasperation and pleading warring for control over her expression.

"The rumrunners used this island as a cache." His voice drifted up to us, distorted slightly by the echo of the cellar. "They came by, and I was able to barter a passage off. From the looks of things, they've been long out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."

He climbed out of the cellar, juggling three bottles of rum in his hands. Before he had chance to drop one, I snatched a bottle and pulled the cork out with my teeth. Shuffling away from the pair for a little bit of privacy I wasted some of the rum to clean my hands. It wasn't the best for disinfecting but hopefully the alcohol content would be high enough that it would work like it did on my back.

"So that's it then?" Elizabeth responded incredulously when she finally found her voice. "That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow? You spent three days lying on a beach, drinking rum?!"

I finished up cleaning my hands and proceeded to swig some rum straight from the bottle, turning just in time to witness Jack thrusting the spare into Elizabeth's arms.

"Welcome to the Caribbean, love."

He uncorked his own bottle and swaggered down to the beach, drinking as he did so. Elizabeth's disbelieving eyes met mine. I shrugged by way of response, not wanting to risk saying the wrong thing and being on the receiving end of her ire again. Sighing I took another large gulp, wincing slightly at the burn it left as it trickled down my throat. I motioned to Elizabeth that she should do the same.

"If you can't beat them, join them, right?" I smiled tentatively before trotting after Jack, lingering in the shade of the palm trees. My anger with him abated with every sip of alcohol I took.

* * *

"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!" We all sang in chorus as we danced around the roaring fire in a drunken haze.

"I love this song! Really bad eggs! Oh –" Jack cried as he fell heavily into the sand, empty glass bottles surrounded us as Elizabeth and I sat on either side of him, shoulder to shoulder.

"When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!" He yelled, stretching his arms out to the sea.

"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth boasted whilst I laughed uncontrollably, trying to stop the world from spinning. Jack bumped my shoulder in offence knocking me off kilter. My face met the sand and all three of us dissolved into giggles.

"Up you get, love," Jack said gravelly, gently grasping my arm and hoisting me up. The fire burned bright beside us, casting flickering shadows over his watchful face. Once I was upright, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, grounding me from swaying and prompting another round of uncontrollable laughter to bubble forth.

"Not just the Spanish Main, you know." Jack eventually replied to Elizabeth who had taken to sipping in a refined manner from her bottle whilst Jack helped me out. I watched entranced. It was amazing that she could still look so regal and like a proper lady whilst drinking rum straight from the bottle.

"The entire ocean. The entire world! Wherever we want to go, we'll go." Jack squeezed my shoulder tightly as he spoke. "That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom."

Jack's somewhat sombre words dampened down my giggles a little as I thought on his true meaning. It was clear that was all he'd ever wanted; freedom, freedom to roam, freedom to be whoever he wanted to be, freedom from a life of boundaries and rules. I respected that. It was one thing to want it, but another thing entirely to put yourself out there and actually chase after it. To do so took great determination and courage. Something which I felt I was entirely lacking in.

"Jack, it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island," Elizabeth wondered thoughtfully.

"Oh yes," he replied whilst stretching his free arm over her shoulder until we were both pulled into his chest. I rested my head on his shoulder, eyes beginning to droop from the sheer volume of alcohol I'd ingested.

"But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has definitely improved."

"Mr Sparrow!" Elizabeth cried in shock, pulling herself away from his grasp. "I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk."

"I'll drink to that," I muttered, half-heartedly raising my nearly empty bottle.

"I know exactly what you mean, love." Jack murmured, sitting up fully and dropping his arm from my shoulder in favour of curling his moustache. Goose bumps immediately sprang up from the suddenly lack of warmth.

Elizabeth thrust her bottle into the air, proposing a toast. "To freedom!"

"To the Black Pearl!" Jack countered.

"To getting home!" I added, clinking my bottle against theirs but making no move to drink anymore.

Jack steadily drained the rest of his rum before keeling over backwards and descending into light snores. Rolling my eyes at his theatrics I stumbled to my feet and walked unsteadily before dropping down awkwardly next Lizzy who was looking at Jack with an amusing mixture of awe and disgust.

"I hope you're not still mad at me," I finally mumbled after we sat there for a while in silence, watching the flames dance into the clear night.

"I don't know what I feel in all honesty. I was so angry before." She replied hesitantly. I risked a glance at her before turning back to the sea.

"And what about now?" I questioned eventually when she didn't add anything else.

"After all that's just happened to us, I don't think I had it in me to be angry with you – not anymore. But surely you must understand the ramifications of what you've done, Ara. You abandoned Estrella at the port without even checking if she was alive. You risked your life to join a pirate on a crazy quest to help rescue me. Why couldn't you have stayed in Port Royal? You would have been safe there."

"If I or Estrella had been in your position, would you have done the same?"

"That's not the point though," she sighed.

Her use of my nickname sent a fare of hope sparking through my drunkenness that perhaps our friendship hadn't been completely ruined. When she'd accosted me on the Interceptor after her rescue, I'd come clean about my involvement in helping Jack escape to find her. And while she'd been grateful for my help in the rescue and so happy to see a friendly face she had a lot of difficulty getting over the fact that I hadn't even thought to check on Estrella before I'd raced into action. Until she'd pointed it out, I'd completely forgotten. Since then the guilt had been gnawing away at me. So had the fact that Elizabeth had blatantly been ignoring me unless absolutely necessary. Although, her wordless help with the ropes earlier combined with her assistance on the Interceptor whilst we were under attack had sprung a hope that she wasn't as angry. I hadn't dared to address it until I had some Dutch courage warming my insides.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry," I finally replied.

"I know. This whole situation is just ridiculous. Undead pirates, cursed treasure, it's like things from a book, not real life."

"Trust me, I get it," I shot back with a little laugh of understanding. A yawn broke through my laughter as my eyelids grew heavy once again.

"Get some sleep Ara, heaven knows you look like you need it. I'm going to take a walk so I don't disturb you." Elizabeth stood up gracefully and began to meander down the beach leaving me alone with the snores of a certain pirate. Satisfied that she wasn't as angry as I'd previously thought, I cushioned my head on my satchel and closed my eyes, embracing the sweet release of sleep.

* * *

 _"Hello chum," a faceless voice whispered._

 _A muffled bang. A dull thud. A smothered scream._

 _My heart raced. My breath raced. Why can't I see?_

 _"Hello chum," a faceless voice murmured._

 _A softened bang. A subdued thud. A stifled scream._

 _Someone needed help. They needed my help. I had to help. Why can't I see?_

 _Throwing my hands out in front of me I tentatively walked forward hoping that I wouldn't trip over anything._

 _"Hello chum," a faceless voice said._

 _A bang. A thud. A scream._

 _I picked up the pace, running forwards into nothingness, following the sounds of the voice. I needed to help. Why can't I see?_

 _"Hello chum," a cheery faceless voice spoke._

 _A gun shot. A thud. A scream._

 _I screamed._

 _My feet fixed to the floor and I dropped heavily to my knees._

 _Why can't I see? Why was I screaming?_

 _"Hello chum, hello chum, hello chum," the cheery faceless voice spoke, running around me in circles._

 _A gun shot. A dull thud. A deafening scream._

 _My deafening scream._

 _I was too late._

 _Mr Ainsworth's pale face stared straight at me through the darkness. His eyes: cold, lifeless and accusing. A pool of red framed his disembodied head forming a macabre halo. His mouth unhinged into a grotesque silent scream._

 _"You knew this was going to happen." His voice reverberated through my head, tearing away at my already crumbling emotional control. And yet his mouth did not move from his silent scream._

 _"You knew this was going to happen, Arabella." I shook my head violently, tears began to fall._

 _"I-I'm sorry," I whispered. It wasn't enough. It'll never be enough._

 _"Why didn't you try to prevent it?"_

 _My head kept shaking, sobs forming thick and fast in my throat. All I could do was murmur continuous apologies. It'll never be enough._

 _"You let me die." His voice pierced through me like a dagger, stabbing through the vestiges of my defences._

 _I let him die._

 _Mr Ainsworth's eyes snapped closed. His halo pulsed and grew, blood red seeping outwards slithering its way towards me._

 _Forcing myself to my feet, I turned my back on the blood; I turned my back on Mr Ainsworth. There was nothing I could do but run._

 _The bright red glow faded into darkness once more. Faint echoes of "hello chum", were soon engulfed by the nothingness. And yet, I kept running._

 _Running away, running for an escape, running for home._

 _I couldn't even see my hands in front of my face, and yet I didn't stop._

 _Until I suddenly do._

 _Motionless, I stand and stare at a light in the distance. It grows steadily larger as it inches closer. Sobs dampen slightly as I stare, curiosity burning, apprehension growing._

 _Please don't be Mr Ainsworth._

 _Closer and closer it came, an irritating buzzing growing with it._

 _A sword collided with another, the sudden distinct clash making me stumble. When I regained my balance I looked up only for my breath to catch in my throat. I was on the Interceptor. Alone. Whirling around I tried to find the source of the swords and the buzz that was rapidly becoming overwhelming._

 _Nothing, nobody; it was just me._

 _Another sword clanged metal against unyielding metal. A muted bang. A subtle scratching._

 _A lone crab scuttled its way across the deck, pausing in front of me and blinked._

 _What was it doing here?_

 _Onwards it sidestepped. Standing motionless, I watched transfixed as it moved slowly but surely until it stopped once again._

 _The buzzing grew louder._

 _The crab turned around and impatiently clicked one of its pincers at me. In a disorientating flash my vision faded until I saw nothing but the crab and a small circle of the deck on which it stood. It scuttled away a few more paces, legs clicking against the wood, bright orange shell gleaming in the spotlight that shone upon it._

 _Intermittent bangs sounded, growing in intensity, fighting for dominance with the buzzing._

 _The crab stopped again, turned to me, blinked and brusquely clicked its pincers. Did it want me to follow? With a deep sigh I shuffled towards it, trying desperately to think of anything other than the horror I had just witnessed._

 _Satisfied that I was following, the crab continued scurrying forwards. The more I followed, the faster the crab scampered. It wasn't long before I was running again, trying to keep up. I didn't know why but I knew that I couldn't let the crab out of my sight. My feet pounded on the wood, boots banging. The buzzing was almost deafening._

 _Abruptly someone screeched. Whirling around, I tried to find the source through the darkness as it echoed around me._

 _Where had it come from?_

 _Heart pounding against my rib cage, I turned back to find that the crab had disappeared. Uneasiness unfurled in my gut. I couldn't have lost it. I had tried so hard not to._

 _The scream cut off. I took a small step forwards, apprehension for my current predicament rapidly forming. Turning to look back, I tried in vain to find the crab. It wasn't there. How could I have hoped to see in the pitch black?_

 _Swords clanged in crescendo, indistinct buzzing became yells and shouts; a battle was being waged. Clapping my hands over my ears, I tried to drown out the sounds that had become so familiar to me._

 _Swivelling back round, I crashed into some railings. The Earl King appeared before me, pirates slaughtering a naval crew._

 _"No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening, this isn't happening," I prayed, eyes darting from one part of the fighting to the next._

 _Death was everywhere. I was surrounded. I knew what happened next. With my hands still firmly pressed to my ears, my head shook manically as tears flowed again. I couldn't bear witness to the merciless killing that I knew was coming._

 _Stumbling backwards, I tried to get away from the massacre only to trip over, landing heavily on my back. Pain flared, shooting down my spine and through my hands that had tried to stop my fall._

 _I lay there attempting to catch my breath, relief flowing through my tense limbs as the sounds of the battle drained away. Holding my hands up to my face, I tried to inspect the damage. Splinters stuck out at odd angles, small rivulets of blood seeped sluggishly from tiny scratches._

 _Almost imperceptibly the deck started rocking. It was a slow soothing motion helping me to focus on one thing at a time. I needed to get the splinters out and the scratches cleaned in case they became infected._

 _As I set about removing the splinters the rocking became a little less smooth and a little more erratic. And yet it didn't distract from the silence that had seemingly swallowed me whole. To go from being in the midst of a deafening battle to sudden nothingness had been more than disconcerting._

 _More and more erratic the rocking of the ship became. Before long I was forced to abandon my splinter removal as a need to hold onto something, anything suddenly became my new priority. The ship rose and fell with giant swells, tossing me about with it._

 _Desperately I tried to grab onto the railings that had halted me before. Just as I reached out the ship climbed a sharp wave, the deck sloping steeply, forcing me to tumble down. I rolled uncontrollably until a barrel hit me in the stomach, stopping my progression and knocking the breath out of me._

 _And still there was only silence. I couldn't even hear my own groans of pain, the thunderous sea or the storm that had raged moments ago._

 _I lay there on my side trying to catch my breath whilst figuring out what was happening._

 _Why can't I hear anything?_

 _A flicker of movement caught my eye. Turning my head slightly, I tried to see what it was. Smoke obscured my vision. A dull throbbing began pulsing in my temples._

 _My lack of hearing was throwing me off-kilter. Wincing, I sat up whilst doing my best to ignore the pain that seemed to be radiating through my body and the niggling tell-tale signs of oncoming nausea._

 _Dark shadows loomed in the smoke, dancing around my vision capriciously. Squinting I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. As soon as I thought I'd latched onto something concrete, it slipped away tauntingly._

 _Some of the smoke abated slightly enabling an intense beam of light to shoot through the dense clouds._

 _A glistening caught my eye. I tilted my head, looking down. It was my dagger._

 _The metallic knife sparkled tantalisingly._

 _Reaching down, I stroked a finger along the flat side of the blade marvelling at its deadly beauty. The pure white handle begged to be held, golden filigree burning with desire. Grasping it firmly in my palm, I tested its weight. It fit comfortably, almost fused to my skin._

 _It was an extension of my arm; a pure, beautiful, deadly extension._

 _A sudden lunging motion had my head shooting up, annoyance coursing through my veins at the distraction. What had dared to draw my attention away from the bewitching beauty?_

 _Another battle raged around me, ferocious pirates colliding head first with equally as ferocious pirates, guns and canons firing fiercely._

 _Lizzy was locked in an intense sword fight. Pirate and lady evenly matched in skill._

 _And yet she couldn't see anything except that which was happening directly in front of her. She couldn't see the pirate sneaking up behind her. She couldn't see the pirate about to raise his dagger to cut her down. His dagger that matched mine, beauty ready to strike._

 _Bounding to my feet I raced over, shouting incomprehensibly, and trying to draw the pirate's attention away from Lizzy._

 _My temples throbbed dangerously._

 _He couldn't hurt her. She had to live. What would happen to the timeline if she died?_

 _I reached the pirate just as he lunged. Pushing Lizzy out of the way, I didn't think. I plunged forwards, dagger in hand._

 _Flesh met metal._

 _Warmth spilled, chasing the cold blade away._

 _Stumbling backwards my empty hands flew to my abdomen. Pressure howled behind my eyes, begging for a release._

 _I watched frozen as the pirate turned and ran. Dropping to my knees, I shakily moved my hands away from my stomach. They were painted, sparkling rubies in the bright Caribbean sun as the smoky haze lifted._

 _Pure white stained, protruding unnaturally, no longer an extension but an intrusion._

"-ella." A faint desperate whisper sliced through the silence. _It was of no consequence. What did a whisper matter in the grand scheme of things?_

 _My head ached, pounding with pain, yet my stomach did not. Pulling at the dagger, I dropped it onto the deck._

 _Beauty malformed before my eyes; it lay there malignant, dripping with sin._

"Bella," another whisper sounded, louder than before. My shoulder was shaken.

 _Gazing numbly down at the oozing wound, I watched detached as it widened._

"Bella, come on," the same voice as before, no longer a whisper.

 _Broader the wound grew. A hard, bloody claw stretched out, searching for something to steady itself on. A scream finally tore through my lips, scratching at my throat. What was happening? I was powerless to do anything but scream and watch in abject horror._

"Bella!" The familiar voice spoke firmly. Another shake to my shoulder, harder.

 _The bloody claw kept stretching the wound. After it a solid shell, another leg. And another and another and another, until suddenly it fell to the deck below leaving me gasping for air._

 _The bright orange crab blinked up at me. The crab from before. The crab that I shouldn't have lost._

"Bella, wake up!"

Gasping out a choked scream, I bolted upright.

What was happening? Where was I? Where was the crab?

Taking another deep breath, I prepared to scream. A hand covered my mouth, muffling the sound.

Fighting with all my strength I tried to pry the hand away, thrashing my arms and legs, hitting anything that I possibly could. I had to get away. I needed to be safe.

"Bella, calm down," a gravelly voice spoke firmly next to my ear.

My captor drew me in, securing a heavy arm around my waist, hand firmly pressed against my lips. Heart racing, whipping against my ribcage with alarming speed, I felt myself growing dizzy from the lack of air.

Tears flowed thickly down my face, drenching the hand that held me. Sobs threatened to wrench through my lips. I kept struggling, trying to escape from my captors hold but he held strong, legs pressing in on me on either side, my back pressed against his chest.

"Shh, it's ok. You're ok, love" he whispered soothingly. "It was just a dream." My struggles dampened as I slowly began to recognise the voice.

Jack. He was helping me.

Eventually my struggling died out; giving way to heart-wrenching sobs that twisted my insides. Desperately I clenched onto the hand that covered my mouth, seeking comfort, seeking anything that would help me to feel better.

"I'm going to let go now, love," Jack warned me gently. "Don't scream, you'll wake up Elizabeth."

Elizabeth. I knew that name. She'd gone for a walk.

I prayed that she hadn't witnessed any of my nightmares like Jack. One person was bad enough. Slowly he removed his hand from my face down to my stomach. I grasped both arms as I cried. Relief and grief flowed down my face, tearing my heart in two. Tenderly he rocked us side to side, waiting for me to calm down.

My sobs gradually lessened until only a few tears were left to fall. Mortified, I wiped them away on my shirt.

"You can let me go now, I'm not going to hurt you," I said, voice cracking slightly before trying to extract myself from Jack's tight hold. His arms held onto my abdomen securely, his inner thighs pinned against my outer. If I wasn't feeling so emotional I probably would have taken some satisfaction out of the intimate position I was being held in.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned instead, throwing me for a loop.

I was so sure he'd been blackout drunk earlier and yet here he was trying to take care of me and sounding more sober than I was. There was nothing like a nightmare to case drunkenness away.

"No, not really," I mumbled.

I'd do anything to avoid reliving that particular nightmare. I'd had them almost every time I'd tried to sleep since the raid but that had been a particularly harrowing one. There wasn't a single ounce of desire to speak it out loud. I already knew the deaths were on me. It was something that I was going to have to learn to live with.

"How can you stand all of the violence?" I eventually asked, trying not to think about how I was leaning back against his solid chest. Hope flared that this would be enough to placate him and avoid deeper questions into just what had been plaguing me.

"I'm used to it."

Twisting my head, I looked up at him. He was staring longingly out at the ocean, eyes illuminated by the dying embers of the once roaring fire.

"Life has been very unkind to you, Jack Sparrow," I murmured sadly before facing back to the ocean.

"Aye, love. But it's given me more good than bad. It granted me freedom. What can be better than that?"

"What indeed?" I murmured, silently disagreeing. Freedom was all well and good for someone like Jack. Yes I longed to be free, but I also longed for home, for family, for safety. The price of freedom was too great a cost.

Awkwardly pulling my satchel round to my front, I dug one hand inside, grimacing at the wet clothes that resided in there. Somehow they'd managed to stay with me throughout this hellish journey. Clutching onto my pyjama's I allowed my thoughts to turn to home, to Amy. I missed them terribly and this was the only connection I had left to them, the only way I could feel like I actually had a chance of returning. They were my lifeline.

My knuckles knocked into the cold leather sheath of my dagger. Shivers racked my spine as I suddenly recalled pure white stained red and protruding disgustingly. Jack withdrew his arms from around my middle and started stroking up and down my arms somehow sensing that I still wasn't ok, that I still craved comfort.

"When I was a lad I lived in a place called Shipwreck Cove. I was born into this life you see. Me father's a pirate, me whole family are. It's in our blood." Jack unexpectedly spoke, breaking me out of my reverie. His hands left tingles along my arms where they trailed.

"Sounds like an awful place," I murmured jokingly, recalling what the cove had looked like from the film. Jack chuckled at my bluntness.

"Imagine Tortuga, but more pirates, more rum, more shipwrecks," he continued.

I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't found Tortuga all that bad and really, from what I could remember, I don't think if I ever had the chance to go I'd find Shipwreck Cove all that terrible either.

"You learn all the tricks there, to appreciate your treasure and to be light fingered, if not it could mean disaster." Jack removed his hands from my arms and reached around me, flashing his hand in front of my face to remove one of his rings.

I took it gently, turning it over to examine it. The sharp emerald sparkled every time it caught an ember from the fire, set into a wrought silver band. Two intricate skulls adorned either side of the gem, holding it captive. Jack rested his hands on his thighs, waiting for me to look over the ring.

"I'm guessing there's a story behind this?" I finally said, slipping the ring onto my thumb. It was comically large and dangled down. Starting to spin it around, I tried to focus on anything except the feeling of his thighs pressed against mine, the heat from his chest searing through my back.

He rested his chin on my shoulder, idly watching the silver and green blur together as the ring span around. His beard scratched against my bare neck almost enticingly.

"I didn't learn quick enough. Saw this sitting on a shelf in ol' Rusty Knickers' shack and I knew I had to- what are you laughing at?" He chuckled as I tried to stifle my amusement.

"Rusty Knickers? Do I even want to know how he got a name like that?" I choked out, trying to keep my laughter to a minimum.

"Probably be for the best if you didn't, love. I wouldn't want to offend your delicate sensibilities," he replied snickering to himself.

"Shove off," I muttered, not liking the reminder that at that exact moment I was delicate. I never thought I would be but I suppose circumstances have definitely changed my outlook on life.

Leaning back, I tilted my head to rest on his shoulder, marvelling at how comfortable and safe I felt. Millions of constellations shone above, reflecting on the ocean. They looked just the same as those back home, I thought, although a seed of doubt settled in my mind. When had I really had the time to just stop and appreciate the beauty of nature?

"Are you ever going to tell me what you keep in that bag?"

Running my fingers over my pyjamas with one hand, I gave a melancholic smile. I'd never be able to tell him. I'd never be able to tell anyone here.

"Are you ever going to finish your story?" I countered, deflecting his question.

"Hmm. I'll let you keep your secrets for now," he chuckled. I could hear the promise in his statement. He would try everything that he possibly could to figure out my secret but not tonight. Tonight I was granted a reprieve. I didn't have any doubt that he'd already been trying, I hadn't exactly been as careful as I should have been and he'd latched on to the tail end. All that was left for him to do was unravel. I sighed as my moment of peace shattered and lay scattered around me within a billion grains of crystal sand.

"I broke into his shack and took it for meself."

"What?" I muttered, falling out of my self- reflection.

"The ring," he clarified. "I wanted it so I took it. Only problem was, I wasn't as quick thinking back then. Rusty Knickers," Jack paused as I snorted in amusement at the stupid name once more, "caught me red handed. I made a run for it and I nearly got away too until I took a wrong turning. I ran down a passageway that was crumbling from rot. My foot went straight through a floorboard and I was stuck. Now, Ol' Rusty wasn't exactly what you'd call the forgivin' type. When he caught up to me and saw me stuck he drew his sword, wanting retribution. Me being a lad of about ten, I only had a dagger-"

"Oh, is that all?" I cut in sarcastically eliciting a huff of annoyance from the pirate.

"Yes, that's all. Not much good it would've done against a long sword. He would have cut off me hand if it weren't for me father. By chance we'd run past him and he'd followed. When he caught up, he knocked Rusty out with the hilt of his blade to the back of his skull in one blow." Jack finished with a flourish.

"You clearly have Lady Luck with you, Jack." I responded, still incredulous at his close escape. Evidently not much has changed as he's grown older. Jack got up gracefully and wandered away with a little "hmm" whilst he searched the beach for something. Ignoring the goose bumps that erupted when he left, I went back to spinning the ring around my thumb.

He gave out a little yelp in delight before scooping something out of the sand and swaggering back over. None to gently he sat down next to me, shoulder to shoulder, before uncorking another bottle of rum with his teeth. Raising an eyebrow I watched in disbelief as he swallowed at least a quarter of the contents. How was he still alive with drinking habits like that?

Sensing my disapproval, he grinned over at me cheekily before muttering, "pirate". Rolling my eyes, we fell back into a comfortable silence. Every so often he'd take another drink. All too soon the memories began creeping up on me.

"What about your other jewellery? Any stories behind those?" I questioned, voice thick.

"No," he replied quickly. Too quickly.

"But you do have another story," I guessed. I knew.

"Aye, I maybe have one."

"You have to tell me now," I bartered back twisting around to face him, pouting slightly.

Jack's eyes darted down to my lips and then suddenly took another swig of rum. A very long swig. I settled in, waiting in anticipation.

"Alright, love. I'll tell yer one me father used to tell me as a lad."

Nodding, I silently encouraged him to begin.

"Once, back before humans lived on the Earth, Gods and Goddesses ruled the land and sea. Everything you see was crafted by them, the trees, the food, the animals. They were happy, they enjoyed their time creating. But then, humans arrived and suddenly there was no more peace. So the Gods retreated to the stars in search of new lands to mould into their ideas of perfection, all except for one. She was unwilling to part with her beloved creation. For hundreds of years the Gods above watched down on their sister – the loneliness slowly beginning to drive her mad, until one day a sailor stumbled across her pacing on an island in her human form."

My breath caught in my throat whilst Jack stole the opportunity to drink more. His movements were becoming more slow as the alcohol crept up on him.

"He was kind to her, offered her help and friendship. Soon that friendship turned into love but as the sailor grew older the Goddess did not change. She began to grow bitter at her circumstances. She pleaded with the sailor to always stay with her. He agreed, his love for her was endless he proclaimed. For his devotion, the Goddess rewarded him with a sacred task."

Another drink. I was barely daring to breathe. Was this really, truly happening? I sat in front of him, enraptured with his tale, trying to look past his minutely slurring words that betrayed his inebriated state.

"She gifted him with a ship but on one condition." Jack pointed his index finger before unexpectedly grasping my shoulder and swivelling me round to gaze out at the ocean.

"He could only step foot on land once every ten years. Out of love, the sailor agreed. For ten years he toiled out there completing his sacred task, never aging. For ten years the world changed around him. His devotion to the Goddess grew stronger every day until he could once again step on dry land and be with his beloved in her human form. The day eventually arrived and as soon as the sun rose he waited on their island. All day he stayed, the sun bearing down on him mockingly. He stayed there until eventually the sun set on the horizon, hardening his heart. She did not show. She was as unpredictable, as untameable as the sea."

Jack moved my hair out of my face and over my shoulder as he gestured eccentrically to the horizon. We both sat there in silence, listening to the gentle lapping of the tide on the soft sand. Turning my head, I gazed at his profile as he continued drinking.

I had to be sure. I needed him to finish his story.

"What happened to him?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"His heart grew cold. He knew he'd never love again. So to protect himself from more hurt, he cut out his heart and locked it in a chest and hid it somewhere he was sure it would never be found. For days he sailed aimlessly, neglecting his duty. His sadness turned to anger the longer he waited for his Goddess to come to him. Soon he wanted revenge. He wanted to hurt her as much as she'd hurt him. The thought consumed him. He set sail with a renewed vigour and summoned the First Brethren Court," Jack slurred, well and truly in a drunken stupor, as his fingers played with the coin that dangled atop his bandanna. He took another drink only to frown comically when he found the bottle empty. I watched warily as he swayed whilst he threw it a few yards away.

"The sailor," he continued around a hiccup, "consumed with grief and revenge convinced the pirate lords to rip away her rule of the sea. They would be the masters who tamed its unpredictability, no longer at the mercy of a fickle Goddess. The First Brethren Court agreed. With their nine pieces of eight, the sailor bound the Goddess to forever live in her human form. He took from her the thing she treasured above all else; her freedom."

Jack finished his story with a loud yawn before once again keeling over backwards, pillowing his head with one of his hands whilst the other rested on his chest.

"Legend has it that only one other pirate except the sailor knows how to free the Goddess from her prison," he spoke slowly. I looked out at the dark horizon waiting with bated breath. This was it, finally the moment I'd been waiting for and I'd barely done anything to coerce it from him. Moments past as I anxiously twisted the ring around my thumb until a slight snore caught my attention.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," I moaned in frustration. "Come on Jack! Wake up! Who was the other pirate? Was it you?"

I shook his shoulder but to no avail. He would be blackout drunk until morning for certain this time round. I'd seen it happen before, hell, I'd even been in that position before. Jack had drunk himself into a coma.

Sighing in irritation, I stood up fixing my satchel as I did so. Removing the ring, I lifted the hand on his chest and placed it back on his finger in a naïve hope that he would wake. Of course I wasn't that lucky.

"Stupid bloody pirate," I muttered before walking away knowing that I didn't really mean a word of it. He'd been wonderful and that scared me. I spared him one last glance before hightailing it to where I could just make out Lizzy's silhouette laid further down the beach. It was time to get this fire started.

* * *

 **A/n: Sorry for the long wait. Uni really piled on top of me over Christmas. Hope this super long chapter makes up for it. There's a lot going on here and a lot of it is important. I'm unsure when the next update will be - hopefully it won't be as long as this time but I'm not in any position to make any promises.**

 **Can't believe I've been writing this for over a year! I missed the birthday! Thank you so much to everybody that has supported this story and me. Your lovely comments actually make my day!**

 ** _Review replies:_**

 **drmsqnc:** _yeah, the ginger thing probably isn't going to be let go. It was a big deal back then and for as long as she stays there it's most likely going to stay a fairly big deal haha!_

 **Angugu:** _T_ _hank you so much, I'm honestly really happy that you're loving Arabella's storyline! Hopefully this next chapter hasn't disappointed. Thank you for taking time out of your day to leave such a lovely review - it's really appreciated._

 **screwtape' :** _I'm glad you're loving the story! Thank you for leaving a lovely comment. I keep falling behind on ones that I'm reading at the moment too - life unfortunately keeps getting in the way._

 **Need it really be said that this is unedited? Don't forget to let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

 **Until next time x**


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